Berlin, 14.04.2014, Self-portrait on instant film
Artist Statement
Since 2003, I have consistently worked on
artistic portraiture, always tying this genre in
with current social discourse – for example,
on migration issues or the changing definition
of family in our times.
For dealing with these topics, I work with a large format camera and 4”x5” negative film and deliberately choose a form of representation that appears anachronistic: the conventional, analogue photographed family portrait.
By taking up the family portrait, I use it as a bridge between the familiar and the unknown, the sitter and the observer, to stimulate both curiosity and understanding.
I am fascinated both by the focussed reflection on the photographic moment and the moment of intense family gathering that develops a dynamic of its own at every portrait session and never ceases to inspire me to rise to the challenge of creating a new document of a particular
moment in time.
Since this analogue process is becoming less and less common in our digital age, my experience is that it is welcomed with enthusiasm by the portrayed families.
My intention is to create a body of work of international family portraits that reveals the diversity of contemporary family constellations and thus also the diversity of our society
and emphasizes its relevance for
dialogue and discourse.
Biography
Verena Jaekel (born in 1980) is a German portrait photographer renowned for her large-format analogue photographed family portraits.
Her work is committed to bringing
to light social issues.
In 2005/06, she won the prestigious Wüstenrot Foundation prize for documentary photography to create her work Neue Familienportraits –
New Family Portraits, dealing with the topic of same-sex parents with their children.
This work was presented for the first time at
C/O Berlin in 2007. Worldwide exhibitions, artist talks, photo festivals and queer festivals e.g. in Germany, Poland, Chile, India, Pakistan and Italy presenting this work followed and there is still a huge interest in and many requests for this series.
In 2009, she carried out a portrait commission
for the Scottish National Portrait Gallery as part
of the Gallery’s Migration Stories project, photographing members of the Pakistani community in Scotland. As in her previous projects, Jaekel chose the family portrait to explore both personal and social identities.
The project was a great success and stayed on the Gallery’s walls for nine months.
Later, in 2013, the project was presented in Pakistan in cooperation with the British Council Arts Programme.
Jaekel’s work has already been exhibited widely, notably at Villa Merkel (2017); Kunstpalais Erlangen (2016); Berlinische Galerie (2016); Museum Folkwang, (2014); The Scottish National Portrait Gallery (2011-2012); Goethe Institut New Delhi (2011 and 2008); C/O Berlin (2007) and Martin Gropius Bau (2005). Her portraits are part of numerous collections; for example, the Photography Collection of the Berlinische Galerie and the Photography Collection of the Museum Folkwang. She has been described as “building up a body of work that in the future will be
highly significant”.
Verena Jaekel completed her studies in 2004 at the Lette-Verein Photography School in Berlin. She is based in Berlin and works worldwide.
Visiting Artist Lecture Venues
2016
Artist lecture
Tagung Dicker als Wasser?
Artist lecture
International Summer Workshop Family Matters
Artist lecture
Gesamtschule Kürten
2015
Artist talk
Berlin
2014
Artist talk
Essen
2013
Artist lecture
Indus Valley School of Arts & Architecture
Karachi, Pakistan
Artist lecture
Lahore, Pakistan
2012
Artist lecture
LMU München
Artist lecture
Hawthornden Lecture Theatre,
Edinburgh
2011
Artist lecture and discussion
Pathshala South Asian Media Academy
Dhaka
Photographing The Metropolitan
Artist lecture and discussion
with Ram Rahman, Sunil Gupta & Sandip Kuriakose
2010
Mentoring Close Up!
with Maren Isfort, C/O Berlin
2009
Mentoring Close Up!
with Maren Isfort, C/O Berlin
2008
Still-Moving. Foto Film Video – Symposium
Mentoring Close Up!
with Maren Isfort, C/O Berlin
2007
My Family at Christmas time
Children Photoworkshop
Exhibitions
2023
(WAHL-)FAMILIE DIE, DIE WIR SIND, Museum Ravensburg
2022
Photolux Festival, International Biennial of Photography of Lucca, Italy
2022
Counted Scotland’s Census 2022, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh
2021-2022
Neue Welten Die Entdeckung der Sammlung, Museum Folkwang, Essen
2018
Le Temps des Villes Indiennes. Trajectoires Photographiques
What is Love?
2017
Dicker als Wasser, Konzepte des Familiären in der zeitgenössischen Kunst
2016
Dicker als Wasser, Konzepte des Familiären in der zeitgenössischen Kunst
Dicker als Wasser, Konzepte des Familiären in der zeitgenössischen Kunst
Vom heiraten
Fotoraum Köln e.V. Atelier und Ausstellungsplattform für intern. Gegenwartsfotografie
DAS SIND WIR
PORTRÄTFOTOGRAFIE 1996-2013
Berlin
2015
DAS SIND WIR
PORTRÄTFOTOGRAFIE 1996-2013
Berlin
Familienväter-Familienmütter
Berlin
2014
Mitteilungen
Ausstellung & Partizipatorische Installation
Strahler – Raum für Fotografie, Berlin
6th European Month of Photography in Berlin
METRO – THE BUILDING OF DELHI
das foto image factory, Berlin
6th European Month of Photography in Berlin
Neue Familienportraits – New Family Portraits
Fotoraum Köln e.V. Atelier und Ausstellungsplattform für intern. Gegenwartsfotografie
Was war und was ist
Dokumentarfotografie Förderpreise der Wüstenrot Stiftung
Neue Arbeiten der Preisträger
Museum Folkwang, Essen
2013
Neue Familienportraits – New Family Portraits
Goethe Institut Palermo
MIGRATION & INTEGRATION STORIES FROM PAKISTAN & SCOTLAND
Karachi, Pakistan
MIGRATION & INTEGRATION STORIES FROM PAKISTAN & SCOTLAND
Zahoor Ul Akhlaq Gallery
Lahore, Pakistan
2012
The Migration Stories: Pakistan
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Edinburgh, Scotland
2011
The Migration Stories: Pakistan
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Edinburgh, Scotland
Under The Rainbow 3, 2011
Goethe Institut
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Photographing The Metropolitan
with Sandip Kuriakose, curated by Sunil Gupta
Max Mueller Bhavan/Goethe Institut
New Delhi, India
BEYOND RE PRODUCTION. MOTHERING
Berlin, Germany
Cork, Ireland
2010
All my lovin’, Photofestival
Lodz, Poland
FotoTageTrier 2010, LEBEN elementar
Trier, Germany
Márgenes Critícos
Cultural Centre Estación Mapochó
Santiago, Chile
2009
Documentary Photography Award 05/06 Wüstenrot Foundation
LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn
Bonn, Germany
2008
Documentary Photography Award 05/06 Wüstenrot Foundation
Städtische Gallery Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg, Germany
Max Mueller Bhavan/Goethe Institut
New Delhi, India
Documentary Photography Award 05/06 Wüstenrot Foundation
Stadtgalerie Brunsbüttel
Germany
2007
Documentary Photography Award 05/06 Wüstenrot Foundation
Berlin, Germany
Reality Crossings
Mannheim/Ludwigshafen/Heidelberg Germany
2006
DISPLAY Space for contemporary art
Farida Heuck/Verena Jaekel
Prague, Czech Republic
2005
After the Fact, 1st Berlin Photography Festival
Berlin, Germany
2004
Schwestern im Westen – mit und ohne Kopftuch
Art of the cultures
Hamburg, Germany
„Schwestern im Westen, _geduldet.“
Project room Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien
Berlin, Germany
Public and private collections
Photographic Collection Jüdisches Museum Berlin
Germany
Sammlung Klinikum am Weißenhof
Weinsberg
Scottish National Photography Collection
Scotland
Photography Collection Berlinische Galerie
Berlin, Germany
Photography Collection Museum Folkwang
Essen, Germany
Teutloff Photo & Video Collection
Bielefeld, Germany
Stephan Erfurt
Berlin, Germany
Grants and awards
2018
Studio grant
Atelierbüro in Kulturwerk of the bbk berlin
in cooperation with Berlin senat
2015
Exhibition catalogue funding,
Familienväter – Familienmütter,
Wüstenrot Foundation
2013
Kulturwerk der VG Bild-Kunst
Project grant 2014
2010
Residency in Santiago de Chile
Studio Constitución 211
ifa- Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, Exhibition grant for Márgenes Critícos, Estación Mapochó, Santiago, Chile
2008
Plat(t)tform08
Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland
Nominee KLM Paul Huf Award 2008
2007
Project/exhibition grant by the 2. Photofestival Mannheim/Ludwigshafen/Heidelberg
for the project Junge Väter
2006
Nominee Mutations 1
European Month of Photography
Nominee GASAG Artprice, Germany
2005
Documentary Photography Award 05/06
Wüstenrot Foundation