Fotografie Forum Frankfurt
Braubachstraße 30-32, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
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Workshop
PAULA MARKERT“VERBINDUNG FOTOGRAFIEREN – THE ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAIT”
“VERBINDUNG FOTOGRAFIEREN – THE ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAIT”
Saturday, March 21/22, 2026, 10 am–5 pm
Subjects
Portraiture, society and the individual, personal photography, fine art photography, personal projects, democracy, community, street photography, photography in public space
Workshop schedule
Saturday, March 21
Morning
- Introductions and workshop overview (How do I develop a photographic position? How do I engage and approach protagonists?) – Review and feedback on participants’ portfolios and project ideas
Afternoon
- Photographing in public space
Sunday, March 22
Morning
- Group critique of the photographs produced; optional further photographing
Afternoon
- Final edits, outlook, and practical tips for continuing the work beyond the workshop
Preparation
Please bring a portfolio and/or one or more (portrait) series for the introduction and discussion, and consider a realistic project idea related to the workshop theme (photographing will take place on Saturday afternoon and possibly Sunday morning).
Equipment
Camera equipment (on-camera flash if available), memory cards, card reader, a laptop
Location
Fotografie Forum Frankfurt,
Braubachstraße 30–32, 60311 Frankfurt
Paula Markert, 2022. Portrait: © Michael Kohls, 2026
Language: German
Price members: 350 €
Price non members: 450 €
Number of participants: Min. 8 / max. 10 persons
Registration deadline: March 7, 2026
Duration: 2 days, one public lecture
Our society is becoming increasingly fragmented: we talk about one another, but rarely with one another. What is needed to revitalize community and democracy? And what enables individuals to perceive themselves as part of a larger whole?
Against the backdrop of social division, this workshop focuses on the environmental portrait as a photographic approach for making visible systems of relationships as well as social and societal structures. Photography has long been, and continues to be, a medium of connection, linking the individual and society, as well as photographers and those they photograph.
In the workshop, we engage with contemporary photographic positions that address questions of democracy and community. We also discuss how, in the face of growing scepticism toward photographic images, sustainable and trust-based relationships with protagonists can be developed. At the same time, we ask how photography can actively engage in social processes: How can it create connection where division prevails? And to what extent can photographic work unfold an activist potential that goes beyond the documentary level?
Paula Markert: aus der Serie „Sieben Tage Warten“, 2015, © Paula Markert, 2026
Paula Markert (*1982) studied photography at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and at the University of Barcelona, Spain. Her artistic-documentary long-term projects revolve around questions of the political development of German society, examine the social conditions of structural transformation processes, and challenge one-dimensional visual narratives within key socio-political debates.
In 2019, Eine Reise durch Deutschland. Die Mordserie des NSU was published by Hartmann Books. Paula Markert’s work is represented in the photographic collections of the Museum Folkwang, the Ruhr Museum, and the Munich City Museum. Her work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions and has received multiple awards. Since 2025, Paula Markert has been Professor of Photography and the Production of Digital Visual Media at Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences in Krefeld.
Sign up here for workshop with Paula Markert:
Please note that for this event the access is limited and a previous registration is necessary.
After the submission of your data we will send you a confirmation by e-mail. This e-mail also includes the bank information for the transfer of the workshop fee. Your payment should reach our account fourteen days before the start of the workshop and is necessary for the participation. In the event of your absence without prior notice of at least 14 days we can unfortunately not refund the fee of the workshop.
With your registration you will confirm that you have read and understood the PRIVACY POLICY of Fotografie Forum Frankfurt.
Do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail at anmeldung@fffrankfurt.org or telephone at +49 (0) 69 291726 if you have any questions regarding workshop schedule, registration or payment.
Thank you for your registration. We will contact you shortly.
FOTOGRAFIE FORUM FRANKFURT
The Fotografie Forum Frankfurt (FFF) is one of the leading centres of photography in Europe. As an exhibition space, institution and event forum the FFF deals with all types and aspects of photography. Since its founding in 1984 it has presented more than 300 exhibitions with historic and contemporary artists. Additionally, the programme of the FFF comprises of regular workshops, talks and discussions with internationally renowned photographers, artists and experts.
