26 February 2027 — 9 August 2027

Drag, Desire and the City: Rolf von Bergmann. Photographs

Klaus Nomi before a performance, Nina Hagen at Studio 54, backstage at a drag show – from West Berlin to New York, Rolf von Bergmann (1953–1988) recorded queer subculture and the vibrant art, fashion and club scene of the 1970s and 1980s. This exhibition turns the spotlight on a little-known artist and conveys the spirit of a distinctive era. Von Bergmann was shaped by the West Berlin art scene around the Galerie am Moritzplatz and by early encounters there, for example with the painter Salomé. The camera was an important medium for forging his own identity, but also a means to an end, because it earned him a living. His move to New York, where he was taught by Lisette Model at Parsons School of Design, broadened his photographic vision. He took pictures at the Gay Pride Parade in 1979, portrayed queer artists such as Divine and John Waters, created experimental fashion sequences and met figures including Debbie Harry, Lil Picard and Andy Warhol. The exhibition of about 160 works – vintage prints, slide shows, films and objects – is the first to celebrate his output in all its diversity. Works by contemporaries such as Rainer Fetting, Anne Jud, Jürgen Klauke, Lisette Model and Salomé provide context, conveying the free-spirited vitality of West Berlin and New York at the time and helping to bring queer art and cultural history out of the shadows. The show draws on the substantial estate left by the artist, who died in 1988 during the AIDS crisis, and on research conducted by the Berlinische Galerie. It is accompanied by a catalogue in German and English, which breaks new ground by making his work available to the public.

Berlinische Galerie