viennacontemporary presents selected art events beyond Vienna Vienna and Austria.

This week, we put our spotlight on Nan Goldin’s current retrospective at the Neue Nationalgalerie, which gives the Berlin public a comprehensive insight into the work of the photographer for the first time – from the 1980s to the present day. After stops in Stockholm and Amsterdam, the exhibition can now be seen in the German capital before traveling on to Milan and Paris.

Nan Goldin, Brian and Nan in Kimono (Brian und Nan im Kimono), 1983, Photographie, aus der Serie “The Ballad of Sexual Dependency” © Nan Goldin. Courtesy the artist

Goldin’s series of works will be presented in the form of slide shows and films, which will be shown in specially designed pavilions in the upper hall of the Neue Nationalgalerie. These structures, designed by architect Hala Wardé, are individually tailored to the respective series and come together to form a kind of visual village.

Nan Goldin, Elephant mask, Boston (Elephantenmaske, Boston), 1985, Photographie, aus der Serie “Fire Leap” © Nan Goldin. Courtesy the artist

Goldin, one of the most important photographers of her generation, is known for her relentlessly honest and deeply personal portraits. Her works document her own life and that of her companions – often intimate, fragile and at the same time powerful snapshots. Her famous work The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1980-1986) in particular is considered a milestone. This slide show, accompanied by music, captures life in the New York subculture of the 1980s and was first shown at the 1985 Biennial of the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Nan Goldin, Sunny in my room, Paris (Sunny in meinem Zimmer, Paris), 2009, Photographie © Nan Goldin. Courtesy the artist

Nan Goldin, C as Madonna in the dressing room, Bangkok (C als Madonna im Umkleideraum, Bangkok), 1992, Photographie, aus der Serie “The Other Side” © Nan Goldin. Courtesy the artist

Nan Goldin, born in 1953 in Washington, D.C., began taking photographs as a teenager. Inspired by fashion photographers such as Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin, she later found her own style through artists such as Diane Arbus, Larry Clark and August Sander. Today, she lives and works in New York, Paris and London – and her art remains one of the most influential voices in photography.

The exhibition is on show until April 6.

Nan Goldin, Greer modeling jewelry, NYC (Greer Schmuck modelnd, NYC), 1985, Photographie,
aus der Serie “The Other Side” © Nan Goldin. Courtesy the artist

Nan Goldin, Christmas at The Other Side, Boston (Weihnachten auf Der anderen Seite, Boston),
1972, Photographie, aus der Serie “The Other Side” © Nan Goldin. Courtesy the artist