Schlüterstraße 45 in Berlin-Charlottenburg - a place full of history and inspiration. 100 years ago, this was the spacious photo studio of the legendary Berlin photographer Yva, where Helmut Newton worked as an apprentice from 1936 to 1938.
The building later became the Hotel Bogota, whose last manager Joachim Rissmann preserved the studio as a tribute to Yva and photography. He also collected numerous vintage prints by Yva, some of which can now be seen in the project room and some in the exhibition "Berlin, Berlin" at the Helmut Newton Foundation.
Many of these iconic fashion photographs were taken in this very studio in the early 1930s. Helmut Newton's first self-portraits from 1936 - one in a lab coat, one with a hat and coat, inspired by Egon Erwin Kisch - were also taken there and are part of the exhibition.
This mythical place also inspired photographers later on. Aino Kannisto and Karen Stuke created impressive self-portrait series here shortly before the hotel closed in 2012/2013. Kannisto staged herself in various roles and clothes in the rooms of the hotel, with an aesthetic reminiscent of film scenes - mysterious, melancholic, and full of narrative depth. Her pictures were created over a year on several trips, during which she intensively examined the unique locations before deciding on costume, props and perspectives.
Karen Stuke, on the other hand, chose a completely different approach. With her self-made camera obscura, she photographed herself while she slept, with the exposure time determined by her rest periods. Her pictures, which she took in almost every room of the hotel, show movements and overlays that create a timeless atmosphere. The series is complemented by original escape route signs from the respective rooms, which she was able to secure shortly before the closure.
The exhibition impressively combines past and present: Yva's iconic fashion images, Newton's early works and the contemporary interpretations of Kannisto and Stuke. In this way, the rich history of this place - from Yva's studio to its use by the Reich Chamber of Culture and the Hotel Bogota - becomes a living part of art history.
