How does a city change through the people who live there, their desires and their needs? How has the city been transformed in the recent past? How do (post-)migrant communities enrich and invigorate the city? What does a city look like from the perspective of those outside the majority society? How do we envision the future of the city? What role does photography play in dealing with urban space?

The special feature of the course is that we will not only explore these exciting questions ourselves, but also in close exchange with a group of students on the other side of the Atlantic, at the Herron School of Art and Design (Indiana University) in Indianapolis. Under the direction of Prof. Stefan Petranek (Head of Photography and Intermedia Program), we will work together on the topics of transformation, city and photography, as well as individual projects and topics and a joint exhibition. A first exhibition of the interim results is to be opened in May – in the presence of Stefan Petranek – as part of the International Week at the Faculty of Design, as well as a further exhibition in September at the Herron School of Art and Design.

We will develop the topics and projects together in close exchange; you are free to choose which city/town or which topic you would like to work on.

As part of the course, we will visit the extensive festival “EMOP – European Month of Photography Berlin” with this year’s theme “what stands between us”, as well as the exhibition “A Village” by Ute and Werner Mahler about the transformation of a place over a period of 70 years, and the major retrospective of Nan Goldin’s film and photographic slideshows at the Neue Nationalgalerie. (Excursion planned for April 4-7)

Open Class is an open space for your ideas, for creative project development, exchange, research and inspiration. Forms of presentation such as installation, film, drawing, digital contexts, are just as possible here as a concentrated photographic approach. Open Class is designed as an ongoing and open format that sets a new focus each semester. Students from higher semesters who are preparing for their bachelor’s semester are also welcome to come with their individual topics.

Consultation hours for course selection:
Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 11-12 a.m.
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