Back to the Future

Spanning photogravures of the first sightings of the moon’s surface, early botanical studies as blue cyanotypes, and Woodburytype portraits, the exhibition Back to the Future . The 19th Century in the 21st Century, held in cooperation between C/O Berlin and Foam – Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, shows work of contemporary artists who are using techniques, methods, and processes that trace back to the nineteenth century, the early age of photography. While they draw inspiration from photography’s pioneering years, many of these artists develop it further in surprising directions to create diverse, hybrid works. Photography today is reminiscent in many ways of the early years of the medium, when it had not yet found a definitive form and was still open to experimentation. Astronomers, mathematicians, doctors, and chemists all recognized photography’s potential and explored it with great curiosity and openness. The contemporary works in the exhibition are presented in dialogue with outstanding nineteenth-century works to playfully illuminate the astonishing parallels between them.

Artists: With Anna Atkins, Karl Blossfeldt, Matthew Brandt, Thomas Mailaender, Spiros Hadjidjanos, Johan Österholm, Taiyo Onorato & Nico Krebs, Warren de la Rue among others