ARTIST STATEMENT
In my artistic practice, I primarily engage in long-term projects characterized by extensive research. The themes vary, encompassing the construction of both individual and collective identities, the social and political transformations occurring throughout Europe and the investigation of the urban environment as a dynamic stage for a multitude of cultures, values, and lifestyles.
A notable project I undertook from 2007 to 2012 involved the portrayal of protagonists within Berlin's exclusive graffiti scene. This endeavor culminated in the publication of a monograph titled Burning Down the House, which delves into the appropriation of public space and artistic identity through interviews with 83 graffiti writers, accompanied by their portraits and reworked polaroids. From 2015 to 2017, I directed my focus towards Turkey, documenting the state-funded construction of mosques in the suburbs of Istanbul and Ankara for a project titled Brave New Turkey. Central to my investigation was the examination of Turkey's political and social evolution, particularly the increasing significance of religion within the state's agenda for shaping a 'New Turkey.' In recent years, I have delved into the study of reactionary political movements across Europe, developing a unique research method that involves translating digital ephemera from social media into photographic prints. These prints are integrated into larger polyptychs addressing topics such as Brexit in Blueprint, 2017-20 and the resurgence of the New Right in Germany in Alternative, 2019-20. Consequently, I've been experimenting with alternative photographic techniques like cyanotype, alongside methods of bleaching and toning, to create distinctive photographic installations that reflect the practices of social media.
My artistic practice spans a diverse array of media, including photography, screen printing, cyanotype, bookmaking, film, installation, and more recently, sculpture. I view the selection of medium and materials as a conceptual decision, revealing insights into the conditions of production and adding depth to the understanding of my artistic endeavors. Embracing openness to the creative process and allowing room for experimentation are essential aspects of my practice.
My work is held in both national and international public and private collections, including Martin Parr photobook collection, Tate Britain.
CONTACT
Norman Behrendt
Triftstrasse 55
D-13353 Berlin
+49 172 95 23 231
info@normanbehrendt.com
Follow me on: facebook and Instagram
Subscribe to my newsletter
CV
2017–18 — Master Photographic Arts, University of Westminster, London
2017–18 — DAAD scholarship, London, UK
2006–12 — Communication Design and Photography, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam
RESIDENCIES
2024 — Artist-in-Residency, XYZ Books, Lisbon, Portugal
2023 — Ich komme und sehe — Artist in Residence by Kunststiftung NRW, at Institute of Automation, Kyiv, Ukraine
AWARDS & GRANTS (selection)
2024 — Culture Moves Europe Grant, funded by European Union, implemented by Goethe-Institut
2021 — Brave New Turkey, European Architectural Photography Prize architekturbild, “Highly Recommended”
2019 — Blueprint extended, selection, Voies Off Award, Arles, France
2018 — DAAD scholarship, MA Photographic Arts 2017-18, London, United Kingdom
2017 — Brave New Turkey, nomination, New Discovery Award, Rencontres-Arles, France
2016 — Morning has not dawned yet, selection, Kaunas Photo-Festival 2016, Lithuania
2015 — burning down the house, selection, Kaunas Photo-Festival, Lithuania
2015 — burning down the house, selection, Belfast Photo-Festival, Northern Ireland
2015 — burning down the house, selection, Athen Photo Festival, Greece
2014 — burning down the house, shortlisted for PhotoIreland Festival, Ireland
2014 — burning down the house, FEX, Künstlerhaus Dortmund, Germany
2013 — burning down the house, first prize, 7th Fotobook Festival, Dummy Award, Kassel, Germany
2013 — burning down the house, Award, 10th Aenne Biermann Prize, Gera, Germany
2012 — Pallasseum-Portraits, work scholarship Berlin Soziale Stadt, Germany
TALKS, CONFERENCES, LECTURES, PORTFOLIO REVIEWS
2026 — Art in Times of Crises — Conférence at ESAAA École Supérieure d’art Annecy Alpes, France
2025 — lecture on my work Exit, Hochschule München, Germany
2025 — Talking Books with Youvalle Levi (Bildband Berlin) and Sophia Greiff (Curator), C/O Berlin, Germany
2025 — E-Commerce photography workshop, Sayano GmbH, Halle/Saale, Germany
2023 — lecture on my work Exit, Hochschule München, Germany
2022 — Reviewer at the Portfolio-reviews, Fotograf Festival, Fotograf Gallery, Prague, Czech Republik
2020 — Festival CIRCULATION(S), presentation, Centquatre, Paris, France
2018 — Transformare – artist talk, gallery of the Guardini Foundation, Berlin, Germany
2018 — Fototreff #22 , Studio Jacob & Reischel, Berlin, Germany
2017 — lecture on my work Brave New Turkey, Architectural Association School of Architecture, London, United Kingdom
EXHIBITIONS (selection)
2025
SCARLET HORIZON, Salon am Moritzplatz, Berlin, Germany
Kyiv-Berlin Metro Construction, Künstlerhof Frohnau, Berlin, Germany
Show-your-darling, ep.contemporary, Berlin, Germany
Keep your exes peeled, AFF Galerie, Berlin, Germany
Open Studios 2025, Künstlerhof Frohnau, Berlin, Germany
Walden: Howl – Festival for Sound, Music, and Performance, Künstlerhof Frohnau, Berlin, Germany
Chaos, f² Fotofestival, Künstlerhaus Dortmund, Germany
Kyiv-Berlin Metro Construction, solo exhibition, Verwalterhaus, Berlin, Germany
Transgressions, gr_und project space, Berlin, Germany
2024
Subworlds, ZIK — Zentrum für Internationale Künste, Berlin, Germany
Fotobokfestival Oslo, Gamle Munch, Oslo, Norway
Info on Books, Cafe Babette, Berlin, Germany
Don't forget me, Perspectivegalerie, Paris, France
2023
Kyiv – Berlin Metro Construction, M17 Contemporary Art Center, Kyiv, Ukraine
Kyiv – Berlin Metro Construction, Kazymyra Malevycha St 40, Kyiv, Ukraine
Lost in time, Urban Spree Gallery, Berlin, Germany
The Urban in the Periphery, Kasseler Architekturzentrum im Kulturbahnhof, Kassel, Germany
The Urban in the Periphery, Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau, Dresden, Germany
2022
Exit, Dead-End Gallery, Berlin, Germany
No One Belongs Here More Than You, National Gallery Prague, Czech Republik
Extremely Normal, Fotograf Gallery Prague, Czech Republik
Sammlung Simonov, Delphi-Space, GVBK Freiburg, Germany
Europäischen Architekturfotografie-Preis, Zentrum Baukultur Rheinland Pfalz, Germany
2021
The Urban in the Periphery, Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM), Frankfurt, Germany
2020
Circulations, Paris, France
Good Bye Great Britain, solo exhibition, Gallery Alles Mögliche, Berlin, Germany
2019
Brave New Turkey, PhEST, Monopoli, Italy
Blueprint extended, Voies Off, Arles, France
2018
Photographs, Phillips, London, United Kingdom
Transformare, Guardini Gallery, Berlin, Germany
Probable Lies, Ambika P3, London, United Kingdom
10. Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie, Darmstadt, Germany
Brave New Turkey, solo exhibition, Uno Art Space, Stuttgart, Germany
2017
Le monde tel qu’il va!, J1, Marseille, France
New Discovery Award, Rencontres Arles, France
Paris Urban Art Fair, Paris, France
Nocturne de la Photographie, Geneve, Switzerland
Nuit de la Photo, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
2016
Kaunas Photo Festival, National M.K. Čiurlionis Art Museum, Lithuania
LaVallée, solo exhibition, Brüssels, Belgium
2015
Kaunas Photo-Festival, Kaunas, Lithuania
Belfast Photo-Festival, Belfast, Great Britain
Athen Photo Festival, Athens, Greece
burning down the house, solo exhibition, Urban Spree Gallery, Berlin, Germany
Die Ränder des Dokumentarischen, Kunstraum Potsdam, Germany
Die Ränder des Dokumentarischen, HO-Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2014
burning down the house, solo exhibition, Gallery Alles Mögliche, Berlin, Germany
PhotoIreland Festival, Dublin, Ireland
FEX, Künstlerhaus Dortmund, Germany
It's a book — Independent Publishing Fair, Leipzig, Germany
2013
PhotoIreland Festival, Dublin, Ireland
Le Bal, Paris, France
MIA — Milan Image Art Fair, Milan, Italy
6th Fotobookfestival, Documenta-Halle, Kassel, Germany
10th Aenne Biermann Prize, Museum for Applied Arts Gera, Germany
BOOKS & ARTIST PUBLICATIONS
Behrendt, Norman. Blueprint, 2017–20. Stockholm: Kult Books, 2021.
Behrendt, Norman. Greetings from Turkey. Stuttgart: Hartmann Books, 2017.
Behrendt, Norman. Burning Down the House, 2007–2012. Berlin: Seltmann+Söhne, 2015.
Behrendt, Norman. Pallasseum Portraits. Berlin: Self-published, 2012.
Behrendt, Norman. Burning Down the House – Theoretical Work. Berlin: Self-published, 2012.
SELECTED PRESS & PUBLICATIONS
Klages, Robert. “Stell dir vor, es fährt eine U-Bahn zwischen Kiew und Berlin.” Tagesspiegel, 2025. online feature
Seidler, Ulrich. “Gegenpol zu Putins Siegesparade: Ein Kunstprojekt verbindet Berlin mit Kiew.” Berliner Zeitung, 2025. online feature
Czilwik, Sofie. “Zwei Ausstellungen über Krieg und seine Folgen”. radio3 (RBB), 2025. radio feature
Hans, Julian & Heller, Andy. “Bilder vom Krieg #15.” Dekoder, 2023. online feature
Stacey, Noni. Leave to Remain: A Snapshot of Brexit. London: Lund Humphries Publishers Ltd, 2023.
Pancevski, Bojan. “In Exile in Berlin, Ukrainian Artists Confront the War.” The Wall Street Journal, 2023 online feature
Mansfieldová, Marketa; Pichler, Elisabeth. No one belongs here more than you. Prague: Fotograf Festival #12, 2022. printed catalogue
Bush, Lewis. “Ethno-Exceptionalism: Blueprint by Norman Behrendt and I Am Warning You by Rafał Milach.” C4 Journal, 2022. online feature
Zhengová, Linda. “Norman Behrendt: On Grasping the Ungraspable.” Discarded Magazine, 2022 online feature
Architekturbild. The Urban in the Periphery - Europäischer Architekturfotografie-Preis 2021. Frankfurt: Avedition GmbH, 2021. printed catalogue
Smyth, Diane. “Norman Behrendt Chronicles the Visualisation of Brexit in His New Book.” British Journal of Photography, 2021. online feature
“Brexit in Blau.” Die Zeit, 2020. online feature
Hoareau, Audrey. Circulations(s). Paris: Le Bec en l'air, 2020. printed catalogue
Haag, Albrecht; Lechner, Alexandra. Perspektiven - Strategien fotografischen Handelns. Darmstadt: 10. Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie, 2018. printed catalogue
Fontaine, Bernard. L’écriture de l’ombre, la photographie du graffiti. Paris: Editions Terrain Vague, 2018. book
Phillips. Photographs, London 1. November 2018. London: Phillips, 2018. printed catalogue
Mason, Nicholas. “Emerging Europe - a melting pot for the long-term investor.” London: Invesco Perpetual, 2018. printed publication
Nuit de la Photo. La Chaux-de-Fonds: Darmstadt: 6. Nuit de la Photo, 2017. printed catalogue
Arles 2017. Rencontres de la Photographie. Arles: Actes Sud, 2017. printed catalogue
Stone, Bryony. “Photographer Norman Behrendt depicts Turkey’s majestic mosques” It’s Nice That, 2017. online feature
Walker, Jo. “The thing about Lithuania.” Issue 75, Frankie Magazine, 2017. printed publication
Howard, Ellie. “The rise of the Turkish mega mosque.” The Spaces, 2017. online feature
Hansen, Suzy. “The Second Conquest.” New York Times Magazine, printed issue June 18, 2017. online feature
Riechelmann, Cord. “Chris Dercon vs. Anselm Haverkamp: ...nicht einfach Athmosphären aus schlechten Buletten.” Spex Magazine, No 376, 2017. printed publication
“Buch des Monats – Greetings from Turkey.” LFI-Online, 2017. online feature
Şenocak, Zafer. “Religiöser Kulturkampf in der Türkei.” Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 2016. online feature
“25 Gründer-Alumni der FH Potsdam.” ZETUP, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, 2016. printed catalogue
Kulbowski, Tomasz. Eastreet. Lublin: Eastreet, 2015. printed catalogue
Ehlert, Sascha. “Orte bedeuten Identifikation.” Juice Magazine, No. 167, 2015. printed publication
Ehlert, Sascha. “Burning Down the House.” Das Wetter, No. 6, 2015. printed publication
Massute, Susann. “Wie Spider-Man! Die Gesichter der Berliner Graffiti-Szene.” Das Filter, 2015. online feature
“Burning Down the House.” LensCulture, project feature. online feature
“The Faces of the Berlin Graffiti Scene.” Vice, 2015. online feature
Loeper, Wiebke. Die Ränder des Dokumentarischen. Potsdam: FH Potsdam, 2015. printed catalogue
Müller-Pohle, Andreas. “Norman Behrendt - Dummy Award 13, 1st Prize Winner.” No. 95, European Photography, 2014. printed publication
Künstlerhaus Dortmund. Bilder aus dem Untergrund — Zeigen und Verbergen. Dortmund: Kettler, 2014. printed catalogue
Rüdiger, Frank. 10ter Aenne Biermann Preis für deutsche Gegenwartsfotografie. Gera: Museum für Angewandte Kunst, 2012. printed catalogue
Behrendt, Norman; Stürholz, Antje. Arsonists and Firefighters. Berlin: self-published, 2010. printed catalogue
Clock, Astrid; Kummert, Otto. Jugend in Europa - 4. Internationale Plakatbiennale der Kunst- und Designschulen der Ostseeländer. Neuer Kunstkreis e.V. Anklam, 2008. printed catalogue
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Tate Library, main collection, London, United Kingdom
Martin Parr Photobook Collection, Tate Britain, London, United Kingdom
Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol, United Kingdom
Archiv und Sammlung der Museen Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Germany
Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Gera, Germany
Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM), Frankfurt, Germany
Moderna Museet / Nationalmuseum Art Library, Stockholm, Sweden
Stedelijk Museum Library, Amsterdam, Netherlands
PhotoBookAthens’ Collection, Hellenic Centre for Photography, Athen, Greece
The PhotoIreland Collection, The Library Project, Dublin, Ireland
library of the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam
Swedish public libraries