Press releases - PhotoQuarter Wien

Photo: Sonja Bachmayer

PINHOLE – Pictures through a hole. Fotografien mit der Lochkamera

PINHOLE – Pictures through a hole PhotoQuatier presents photographs from a pinhole camera The photography exhibition “PINHOLE – Pictures through a hole” displays works from students, graduates and faculty of the Photography School Vienna and addresses the portrayal of pinhole photography as an artistic form of expression. Inspired by the origins of image reproduction, the participating photographers focused on this centuries-old technique and photographed selected subjects from around Vienna. In doing so, the photographers took advantage of the unique qualities of the pinhole camera: through the evenly dispersed image focus, or rather lack of focus, combined with the resulting graphically 2-dimesional effect, the spatial perception of the photographed subject fades into the background. In this way many pinhole photographs function as drawings, which in turn returns photography to its original definition: “photo graphein”, which is ancient Greek for “drawing with light”. As early as the 17th Century the ‘camera obscura’ was used as a drawing aid by artists. Nowadays this technique, in the form of a ‘pinhole camera’, experiences a revival and is used by many photographers as a means of artistic expression. A small hole, the size of a pin, is sufficient to produce a visual image. The simplest form of a pinhole camera, a shoebox with a hole, is often used in drawing classes as an introduction into the world of photography. However, it has only been insiders who have known that it is also possible to create wonderful pinhole photographs with a digital SLR camera. Thus the photographic exhibition “Pinhole – Pictures through a hole” is dedicated to the world of digital pinhole photography.

Exhibiting photographers:
Sonja Bachmayer, Paola Zofrea Battipede, Tina Blaukovics, Bernd Bogensberger, Angela Breda, Inge Falkner, Iris Falkner, Pepa Georgieva, Katharina Harlander, Nikki Harris, Markus Hippmann, Claudia Österbauer, Stephanie Prochnow, Ida Raether, Martina Schildendorfer, Bärbel Tomasi, Peter Urban, Christian Werner, Dirk Zabel

Photography exhibition for the occasion of the Worldwide Pinhole Photography Days

in PhotoQuarter Vienna, Schlössl Kino, Margaretenstraße 127, 1050 Wien Opening: Sunday, 29th April 2012, from 7pm 30.04. – 10.05.2012, Mon-Thurs, 4 – 6pm (except 01.05.2012) Admission is free

Photo: Angela Breda

IMAGE OF MAN - Photographs of people with disabilities. Past and Present.

The Photography School Vienna and the Lebenshilfe Vienna invite you to the exhibition 'IMAGE OF MAN' in the PhotoQuarter Vienna, housed in the Schlössl-Kino. The works captured by the students from the Photography School along with those produced in the 1960’s by the Austrian photographer Harry Weber at Steinhof, document how the world’s perception of people with learning difficulties has changed over the last half a century. Mag. Markus Hippmann, Head of the Photography School Vienna, summarizes the motivation behind the photography exhibition 'IMAGE OF MAN', “We are showing the artistic outcome of our collaboration with the clients from the ‘Lebenshilfe Vienna’, in doing so we are opening up space for the topic ‘disability’, and there by raising awareness of the needs of people with disabilities.”


At the centre of the project are people with special needs. The general perception of people with disabilities has changed considerably within the past 50 years. Persecuted and hidden away in psychiatric institutions during the times of National Socialism, nowadays people with disabilities stand and participate as independent members of society. In April 2011 the Photography School Vienna started working together with Lebenshilfe Vienna. The students of the Photography School Vienna photographed people with learning difficulties within their current everyday environments, in the workshops and theresidential homes of the Lebenshilfe Vienna. The resulting empathetic photographs illustrate how people with disabilities nowadays can go through life with self-assurance. In contrast, the photographs from the famous Austrian photographer Harry Weber, who in the 1960’s photographed patients of the psychiatric clinic at Steinhof, show the different standards of living people with mental disabilities experienced 50 years ago. The photographs from Harry Weber have been made available to view by the image archive of the Austrian National Library.

Exhibiting photographers: Harry Weber, Sonja Bachmayer, Angela Breda, Nikki Harris, Markus Hippmann, Michaela Leuthner, Angelika Löffler, Dagmar Pratsch, Martina Schildendorfer

Exhibition details: "IMAGE OF MAN - Photographs of people with disabilities. Past and Present."

Photography exhibition in PhotoQuarter Vienna, Schlössl Kino, Margaretenstraße 127, 1050 Wien Opening times: 28.11. until 15.12.2011, Monday to Thursday, 4 - 6pm (except 08.12.2011) Admission is free.

Photo: Markus Hippmann

SELF-ESTEEM – Photographs of people with special needs

PhotoQuarter Vienna presents 'SELF-ESTEEM'– photographs of people with special needs. The 5th district of Vienna is one exhibition space richer: The PhotoQuarter, housed in the former Schlössl Cinema, Margaretenstraße 127, presents works from Austria’s up and coming photographers as well as well-known international artists. And kicking it all off will be the opening of our exhibition, 'SELF-ESTEEM' photographs of people with special needs, on Friday 27th May 2011 from 8pm. Exhibited will be photographs which were taken in the workshops of the Bandgesellschaft, a care facility for disabled people. Paola Zofrea Battipede, Pepa Georgieva, Markus Hippmann, Doris Lieba-Samal and Bärbel Tomasi (all from the Photography School Vienna) have created portraits of people with learning difficulties showing them in their work and living environments. Through which insightful pictures emerged, depicting the self-esteem with which these disabled people go through life. Since the basic needs such as food, sleep as well as work are often more important in the care of the disabled, these feelings are sometimes little in evidence. However this is not the case with the collaborative photography project between the Photography School Vienna and the Bandgesellschaft. Here above all else, the people themselves and their emotions stand at the centre of attention. This is also depicted by the artists in the exhibited portrait photographs. The Bandgesellschaft is a private, non-profit organisation, which has given itself the task of supporting and assisting people with disabilities, enabling them to carry out equal and self-determined lives. Within their workshops orders and assignments from Austrian industrial companies are realized. Through which the employees of the workshops achieve the satisfaction of contributing to society.

Private viewing & exhibition opening 'SELF-ESTEEM' on Friday 27.05.2011, 8pm in PhotoQuarter Vienna in the Schlössl-Kino, Margaretenstr. 127, 1050 Wien, 01/890 41 46. Admission free. The photography exhibition can be viewed from Monday to Thursday. 30th May until 9th June 2011, Between 4pm und 6pm