Acclaimed Show Opens November 6 Following Smash Success in Berlin

The Goethe-Institut New York, a branch of the Federal Republic of Germany’s global cultural institution, is pleased to present Talents II, the second in a series of four exhibitions showcasing new photography from Berlin. Talents II features the work of Frank Berger and Tobias Zielony.

Talents is a series of four exhibitions showcasing eight photographers who explore aspects of the human presence in the urban environment. Frank Berger’s photographic series documenting passersby at the National Portrait Gallery, in its almost time-lapse quality, bridges both old and new interpretations of perspective and crowd psychology, and in the words of critic Florian Ebner, creates “an allegory of photography in the middle of the pavement” …[that]… “still corresponds to the heartbeat of our cities.” Tobias Zielony’s pop-culture infused photographs of bored teenagers and empty gas stations explore both the semantics of global youth culture and the resonance of Los Angeles and California as “utopian locations of longing,” as critic Jutta v. Zitzewitz posits in the accompanying essay: “In his representations of kids, Zielony is investigating issues related to … authenticity in an environment that is already full of synthetic images… ‘Where am I going?’ and ‘Who am I?’ are the questions that [remain].”

Talents is presented with C/O Berlin Patrons e.V. (http://www.co-berlin.com), an organization dedicated to giving promising photographers and art critics support and exposure early in their careers. Each exhibition is presented with a lavish catalogue in which the emerging talents introduce themselves and their projects and put their work up for discussion, creating a public forum and an experimental space for young contemporary photography and art criticism from Germany and abroad. Talents II is also presented as part of Carnegie Hall’s Berlin in Lights festival (http://www.carnegiehall.org/berlininlights), intended to create a snapshot of contemporary Berlin, the “global magnet for creative people of all disciplines.”

The Goethe-Institut New York is a branch of the Federal Republic of Germany’s global cultural institution, established to promote the study of German abroad, encourage international cultural exchange, and provide information on Germany’s culture, society, and politics.