Dörte Eißfeldt: Archipelago

“Photos are like whales that can carry entire islands.” The exhibition gives space to this archipelago of islands—carried by the photo whales: islands of meaning, memory, similarity, or the impression of a moment.

– Großer Flieger, 1986

In Dörte Eißfeldt's (*1950) pictures, nothing is as it seems—and nothing stays the same. Instead of simply depicting reality, photography in her work becomes a medium of transformation. With a delicate, poetic, and always curious gaze, Eißfeldt explores the world around us, the human body, and the medium itself. A snowball melts in one picture, while in another it appears rock-like and celestial.

A knife blade appears like a megalith, surfaces change their texture, skin becomes metallic, then fragile and porous again. Again and again, Eißfeldt explores how photography questions itself, transforms itself, and shifts the boundaries of perception. The title of the exhibition at C/O Berlin refers to a quote by Eißfeldt in which she writes: “Photos are like whales that can carry entire islands.” The exhibition gives space to this archipelago of islands—carried by the photo whales: islands of meaning, memory, similarity, or the impression of a moment. Spanning five decades, with key works from her personal archive, large-format series, and previously unpublished and never-before-seen sketches, art books, and notebooks, C/O Berlin presents a long-awaited, comprehensive institutional exhibition of her work.

Curated by Boaz Levin.

Opening hours: Daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Runtime: Sat, 07/02/2026 to Thu, 11/06/2026

Takes place here:

• C/O Berlin (im Amerika-Haus)