New Woman, New Vision.

Women Photographers of the Bauhaus

17/4–
4/10/26
Grit Kallin-Fischer, Self-portrait with cigarette, ca. 1928
Bauhaus-Archiv Berlin

An Exhibition by the Bauhaus-Archiv / Museum für Gestaltung at the Museum für Fotografie

Outstanding women photographers have been around since the invention of photography in the early 19th century. They experimented with photographic and artistic techniques and probed the boundaries of the new medium. So too did the women photographers of the Bauhaus. They observed the world around them through the camera lens and often captured subjects from novel and unconventional perspectives. The spectrum of their artistic production ranges from figurative portraits and architectural photography to abstract photographic experimentation.

  • The exhibition at the Museum für Fotografie features some 300 photographs from the collection of the Bauhaus-Archiv / Museum für Gestaltung in Berlin. Many people today are familiar with the iconic images, but only few are aware of the women who recorded them. With this exhibition, the Bauhaus-Archiv celebrates the significant contribution of these women artists and their photographic oeuvre for the first time. The photographs by these Bauhaus artists will be complemented by others produced by women artists from the Institute of Design in Chicago (New Bauhaus), the successor institution of the Bauhaus in the USA.

  • Even now in the 21st century, women artists continue to explore the multifaceted potential of photography. Like the Bauhaus women before them, they seek to capture the present day in the photographic moment while challenging the conventional forms of the medium. For this exhibition, the Bauhaus-Archiv has invited three contemporary women artists – Kalinka Gieseler, Caroline Kynast and Sinta Werner – to engage in dialogue with the historic photographs.

Lorem ipsum

The Artists Featured in the Exhibition:
Gertrud Arndt, Ellen Auerbach, Irene Bayer, Irena Blühová, Marianne Brandt, Lotte Collein, Barbara Crane (New Bauhaus), Margarete Dambeck-Keller, Charlotte Grunert, Ise Gropius, Toni von Haken-Schrammen, Florence Henri, Catherine Hinkle (New Bauhaus), Irene Hoffmann, Hilde Hubbuch, Grit Kallin-Fischer, Judit Kárász, Ivana Meller-Tomljenović, Etel Mittag-Fodor, Lucia Moholy, Lony Neumann, Ricarda Schwerin, Ré Soupault, Grete Stern, Lotte Stam-Beese, Elsa Thiemann, Else Tholstrup (New Bauhaus), Mili Thompson (New Bauhaus), Edith Tudor-Hart

Contemporary Positions:
Kalinka Gieseler, kalinka-gieseler.de
Caroline Kynast, studiocarolinekynast.com
Sinta Werner, sintawerner.net

Cooperation Partner:

  • Stylized representation of a microphone with a simple, modern design on a black background.

Funded by:

  • Logo of the Lotto Foundation Berlin featuring a stylized four-leaf clover and text.

Media Partner:

  • A stylized path of a paper boat depicted on a transparent surface.
  • Logo of tipBerlin, a magazine for cultural events and leisure activities in Berlin.
  • Black abstract symbol with curved lines and unique shapes on a light background.

Available offers

Exhibition talk

Women Photographers of the Bauhaus – Between Experimentation and Emancipation

Bauhaus photography is known for its innovative, experimental imagery and the New Vision. In our exhibition talk, we view the Bauhaus from a different angle and tie its place in history to the fundamentals of photo design and a feminist image analysis. What themes and artistic approaches did the women photographers find especially fascinating? What kind of careers could women photographers expect in the Weimar Republic, and how freely were they allowed to work at the Bauhaus?

Duration: 60 min.
Participation fee: € 30

Suitable for young people aged 13–18
The event will be held in German. English is available on request.

Further information on registration can be found on the website of the Museum für Fotografie in German.

For grades 5–10 and 11–13

Trying Out New Vision: Photographic Portraits

What roles do we play in photos? And in what roles do we try to present ourselves? In this workshop, students discover the women Bauhaus photographers and their ‘New Vision’ movement. Inspired by their works, the students experiment with light, perspective and staging and create their own expressive portraits.

Duration: 120–180 min.
Participation fee: € 60–€ 90

The event will be held in German. English is available on request.

Further information on registration can be found on the website of the Museum für Fotografie in German.

Change Your Perspective! Bauhaus Photography in a New Light

What was the Bauhaus, and who was allowed to play a visible role? What does visibility mean with regard to power structures and identity? What does ‘New Vision’ mean to us today? In this Project Day, students discover the women photographers of the Bauhaus, the structural disadvantages they encountered and their innovative artistic works. The students then seek new perspectives themselves and create their own photographs beyond simple selfies and viewing habits.

Duration: 240 min.
Participation fee: € 120

Suitable for children and teenagers, aged 6–18
The event will be held in German. English is available on request.

Further information on registration can be found on the website of the Museum für Fotografie in German.

Concepts: Beate Slanksy

  • Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr

Guided tours available for groups

Duration: 60 minutes
German: € 100 plus admission; other languages: € 100 plus admission
Max. 25 participants
Bookings: Tel. +49 30 266 42 42 42, service@smb.museum

  • Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr

Upcoming Dates