With the artists Bieke Depoorter + Carolyn Drake and Boaz Levin . Curator, C/O Berlin

Language English

With Talking Books, C/O Berlin regularly invites visitors to rediscover the world of photo books. In an extended edition of the format, artists from the Close Enough exhibition will present their book projects in person and provide insights into their artistic practice. Most of the works in the exhibition - all long-term, extensive projects - were also published as photo books. How does a photo book differ from an exhibition? What role does the book play in their practice? And what future does the medium have as an independent form?

To kick off the series, Bieke Depoorter and Carolyn Drake will present their book projects - followed by an open Q&A with the audience.

Since the beginning of the revolution in 2011, Bieke Depoorter has regularly traveled to Egypt to take intimate photographs of Egyptian families in their homes. In 2017, she returned to the country with the first draft of this book and invited others to write their comments directly on the photographs. The result is contrasting views on the country, religion, society and photography - between people who might otherwise never have met. As It May Be shows a society in transition - with integrity, commitment and respect.

In Men Untitled, Carolyn Drake presents a staged exploration of masculinity. Together with her protagonists, she explores how male identity can be portrayed photographically. Her images deliberately irritate documentary viewing habits and negotiate power, control and self-image - playfully, subversively and consistently from a female perspective.

Bieke Depoorter's (*1986, Belgium) artistic practice is based on the relationships she establishes with the people she photographs. Chance encounters are often the starting point, and the natural development of these interactions determines the direction of her work. She has won several awards, including the Magnum Expression Award and the Larry Sultan Award. In 2023 she was nominated for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize for her solo exhibition A Chance Encounter at C/O Berlin.

Carolyn Drake (*1971 in the USA) works on long-term, photo-based projects that challenge dominant historical narratives and create alternative interpretations of reality. Her work explores community and its dynamics, as well as the connections and barriers between people, places and perceptions. She has received several prestigious awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Fulbright Scholarship.