Akinbode Akinbiyi (*1946 Oxford, England) will receive the Hannah Höch Prize 2024. For his street photographs, the internationally renowned photographer and author, who has lived and worked in Berlin since 1991, wanders through the world’s metropolises. Lagos, Bamako, Berlin or Durban – the urban space is his workplace.
A place that he perceives as a “boundless labyrinth”, “a maze of never-ending streets, flowing together in countless paths”, as he put it in 2009. Akinbiyi photographs what he observes, analogue and predominantly in black and white. His pictures are nuanced visual metaphors that address social change and social exclusion as well as the political, social and architectural-historical consequences of colonialism. With his photographs, he conveys a worldview beyond stereotypical and thus discriminatory representations.
With around 130 photographs from various series – including two that are being shown in Germany for the first time – the exhibition in the Berlinische Galerie provides insights into his work, which spans five decades. The first solo museum presentation in Germany was conceived in close collaboration with the artist.
Akinbode Akinbiyi sees photography as “a visual form of writing”. His pictures are not staged; rather, he observes, expects and discovers the happy coincidence of the moment in front of the lens of his analog camera, the Rolleiflex. Diagonals and changing perspectives emphasize the mode of creation, which is characterized by the movement of the pedestrian in the city. The strict square of the medium format provides the framework here. The atmosphere is dense: the energy, smells and sounds of the city also seem to be visually captured. At the same time, his photographs are characterized by a poetic and thematic complexity; they invite you to read and to explore the condensed levels. He selects from the individual shots and combines them into series and long-term series, some of which he continues over several decades.
Works from seven different series are on display in the Berlinische Galerie. Texts on the individual series, written and recorded by Akinbode Akinbiyi himself, can be accessed via audio stations and QR codes. Visitors also have the opportunity to take a photo of themselves in a photo booth. The print will contain their self-portrait and three randomly selected images by the artist. Four display tables display publications by Akinbode Akinbiyi as well as photo books by renowned photographers from his collection. They show Akinbiyi’s sources of inspiration and provide insight into his engagement with photographic image design.
Akinbode Akinbiyi
Being, Seeing, Wandering
8 June – 14 October 2024
Berlinische Galerie
Alte Jakobstr. 124-128
10969 Berlin
www.berlinischegalerie.de
Akinbode Akinbiyi Victoria Islands, Lagos, 2006 aus der Serie Photography, Tobacco, Sweets, Condoms and other Configurations seit den 1970er Jahren © Akinbode Akinbiyi
Akinbode Akinbiyi Wedding, Berlin, 2005 aus der Serie African Quarter seit den 1990er Jahren © Akinbode Akinbiyi
Akinbode Akinbiyi Kreuzberg, Berlin, 2016 aus der Serie Photography, Tobacco, Sweets, Condoms and other Configurations seit den 1970er Jahren © Akinbode Akinbiyi
Akinbode Akinbiyi Lagos Island, Lagos, 2004 aus der Serie Lagos: All Roads seit den 1980er Jahren © Akinbode Akinbiyi
