C/O Berlin is pleased to present the exhibition »Close Enough . Perspectives by Women Photographers of Magnum« from Sep 27, 2025, to Jan 28, 2026. The opening will take place at C/O Berlin in Amerika Haus on Friday, Sep 26, 2025, at 8 pm.
»Close Enough« presents photographic works by twelve women photographers from the acclaimed Magnum Photos agency. The exhibition was shown at the International Center of Photography in New York in 2022 in conjunction with the seventy-fifth anniversary of the agency’s founding. In celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of C/O Berlin, the exhibition will be presented in Berlin in an adapted and expanded version. A central thread running through the works in the exhibition is their investigation of the relationship between photographers and their motif.
Inspired by a famous quote from Magnum co-founder Robert Capa – “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough” – the exhibition title also challenges his observation. The statement, which was made within the context of war photography, takes on a new, complex meaning in the exhibition. “Close” does not only refer to physical proximity; it refers much more to the trust, complicity, and connection that exists between the photographer and the sitter or subject. The works presented here tell of belonging, intimacy, and representation, while also addressing foreignness, vulnerability, and power dynamics. In this way, the exhibition also questions the assumption that physical proximity automatically creates transparency and immediacy.
The debate surrounding closeness is explored as a relationship that is central to the documentary image: between the camera and the subject, between the gaze and the reaction, between power and empathy. The curatorial focus in this exhibition is to allow each work to use its own language and have its own space without imposing an overriding interpretation or thematic structure on them. The works are accompanied by short texts in which the photographers describe their projects from a personal perspective and offer insight into their photographic approach. A specially produced audio guide expands the exhibition to include personal commentary and reflections by the participating photographers.
»Close Enough« shows varying artistic approaches ranging from long-term collaborative projects to observations of social processes. Alessandra Sanguinetti, for example, accompanies two girls from rural Argentina for several decades in a longterm study. Myriam Boulos documents social change in Lebanon, from the protests to the impact of the explosion in Beirut’s port in 2020, as well as her appropriation of the city in intimate nocturnal photographs that read like a visual diary. Hannah Price transforms catcalls into photographic encounters, an ambivalent act that is balanced between self-empowerment, frustration, and the feeling of recognition. Cristina de Middel portrays male clients of sex workers and reverses the power dynamics in the act of photographing.
Susan Meiselas collects visual material about the Indigenous community of the Dani people in Papua (Indonesia) and critically explores issues of representation. Carolyn Drake investigates with her protagonists how masculinity is depicted in photography. The staged photographs challenge our expectations of documentary work and negotiate power, control, and self-image in a playful way, demanding that we reassess the photographic gaze on the male body from a female perspective. Other works explore physicality, self-staging, religious education, marginalized living conditions, and subcultural scenes ranging from hedonism to protest.
Including new works that focus on the issue of closeness – understood as the complex mix of spatial, emotional, and social distance between the photographer and the subject – »Close Enough« provides insight into current photographic approaches taken by women who are increasingly shaping the visual language of Magnum Photos.
The exhibition includes works by Olivia Arthur, Myriam Boulos, Sabiha Çimen, Bieke Depoorter, Carolyn Drake, Nanna Heitmann, Susan Meiselas, Cristina de Middel, Hannah Price, Lúa Ribeira, Alessandra Sanguinetti, and Newsha Tavakolian.
»Close Enough . Perspectives by Women Photographers of Magnum«, which was initiated by the participating photographers themselves, was shown for the first time in 2022 in a show curated by Charlotte Cotton at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York. The exhibition was organized in collaboration with Magnum Photos and adapted for C/O Berlin by curator Boaz Levin.
An accompanying publication of the same name has been published by Kehrer Verlag:
Close Enough. New Perspectives from 13 Women Photographers of Magnum
Regular Edition | Signed Edition
Edited by Cristina de Middel, Andréa Holzherr, Isabel Siben
Texts by Charlotte Cotton, Cristina de Middel
Designed by Kehrer Design (Laura Pecoroni)
Hardcover, 24 x 28,8 cm 192 pages
176 color and b/w illustrations
English
ISBN 978-3-96900-162-2
Artist bios
Born in 1980 in London. Arthur is known for her deep, reflective photography exploring personal and cultural identities. She has documented the daily lives of women in Saudi Arabia, India, and across Europe. Her work has been published in The New Yorker, Vogue, and Time Magazine. She co-founded Fishbar, a publisher and exhibition space for photography, with Philipp Ebeling in 2010.
Born in 1992 in Lebanon. At sixteen, Boulos began using her camera to explore questions about Beirut and her place within the city. She earned a Master’s degree in photography from L’Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts in 2015. Her work has been shown in exhibitions like Infinite Identities (2020–2021) at Huis Marseille and C’est Beyrouth (2019) at the Institut des Cultures d’Islam, Paris. She uses photography as a means to challenge and resist societal norms and joined Magnum in 2021.
Born in 1986 in Istanbul, Turkey. A self-taught photographer, Çimen’s work focuses on Islamic culture, portraiture, and still life. She explores the experiences of young Islamic women in Turkey and aims to give greater visibility to Islamic women in photography. Her work has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times and Vogue. She has received multiple awards, including the W. Eugene Smith Fund Grant.
Born in 1986 in Belgium. Depoorter’s artistic practice is rooted in the relationships she builds with the subjects of her photographs. Accidental encounters often serve as the starting point, and the evolution of these interactions shapes 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.
Born in 1971 in the USA. Drake works on long-term photo-based projects that interrogate historical narratives and offer alternative interpretations of reality. Her work explores community and the dynamics within it, as well as the connections between people, places, and perceptions. She has received several prestigious awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Fulbright Fellowship.
Born in Ulm, Germany, Heitmann is based in Moscow. She covers current events such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while also documenting long-term projects on climate change, including forest fires and melting permafrost in Siberia. Her work has been published in National Geographic and The New Yorker, and she is a regular contributor to The New York Times. Heitmann became a Magnum nominee in 2019 and a full member in 2023.
Born in 1948 in the USA. Meiselas is best known for her coverage of the Nicaraguan insurrection and her documentation of human rights issues in Latin America. She works collaboratively with her subjects and has published numerous books. Meiselas has exhibited widely in major museums and received many awards, including the Robert Capa Gold Medal and the Leica Award for Excellence. She is currently the President of the Magnum Foundation.
Born in 1975 in Spain. De Middel blends documentary and conceptual photography to explore the ambiguous relationship between photography and truth. She challenges mass media and the tropes of representation. Her work has been exhibited internationally and won numerous awards, including the ICP Infinity Award. She was also a finalist for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize.
Born in 1986 in the USA. Price is a photographic artist and filmmaker, focusing on relationships, race politics, and social perception. She is internationally known for her project City of Brotherly Love (2009-2012), a series of photographs featuring men who catcalled her on the streets of Philadelphia.
Born in 1986 in Galicia, northern Spain. Ribeira graduated in Documentary Photography from the University of South Wales in 2016. Her practice is collaborative and immersive, with a focus on transformative experiences with her subjects. Her work has won several awards, including the Firecracker Grant for Women in Photography and the Jerwood/Photoworks Award. Ribeira’s work has been exhibited internationally in solo and group exhibitions.
Born in 1968 in New York and raised in Argentina. Sanguinetti is known for her lyrical photography, which explores themes of memory, place, and psychological transformations during youth. She has received awards such as a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Hasselblad Foundation Grant. Her works are housed in major public and private collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Published works include On the Sixth Day (2005), The Adventures of Guille and Belinda and the Enigmatic Meaning of Their Dreams (2010), and Some Say Ice (2022).
Born in 1981 in Tehran, Iran. Tavakolian began working professionally at the age of sixteen for the Iranian women’s daily newspaper Zan. She was the youngest photographer to cover the 1999 student uprising. Tavakolian’s work is known for its evocative storytelling and her ability to capture human emotions. She has received numerous awards, including the Carmignac Gestion Award and the Prince Claus Award.
Simultaneous exhibition at C/O Berlin:
»After Nature . Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize 25: Lisa Barnard . You Only Look Once + Isadora Romero . Notes on How to Build a Forest«
Framework program
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Friday, Sep 26, 2025, 8 pm
Opening reception
Guided tours
Saturdays, Sundays and on public holidays at 2 pm (German) and 4 pm (English).
Details & tickets
Saturday, Sep 27, 2025, 6 – 7 pm
Artist Tour (en)
With the artists and Boaz Levin (Curator C/O Berlin Foundation). Tickets 12/6 € (incl. exhibition).
Thursday, Oct 9, 2025, 7 – 9 pm
After-Work Tour + Drink (de)
Close Enough . Lisa Barnard . Isadora Romero. 20 Euro (incl. exhibitions).
Details
Saturday, Nov 1 – Sunday, Nov 2, 2025, 10 am – 5 pm
Adult Workshop with Annette Hauschild / OSTKREUZ (de)
Age: 18–25 years old. Participation fee: 80 Euro (incl. exhibition). Participants: max. 15. Registration via e-mail to Frauke Menzinger education@co-berlin.org
Details
Thursday, Nov 13, 2025, 7 – 9 pm
After-Work Tour + Drink (de)
Close Enough . Lisa Barnard . Isadora Romero. 20 Euro (incl. exhibitions).
Details
Sat & Sun, Nov 15 & 16, 2025, 10 am – 5 pm
Workshop with hannah goldstein (de)
Artistic Strategies – New inspiration for your own visual language. Registration until Nov 3 via e-mail to Frauke Menzinger education@co-berlin.org
Details
Tuesday, Nov 18, 2025, 6 – 8 pm
Talking Books Expanded (en)
With artists Bieke Depoorter & Carolyn Drake and Boaz Levin (Curator, C/O Berlin). Held in English. Admission 12/ 6 euro (incl. exhibition).
Details
Sat & Sun, Nov 22 & 23, 2025, 11 am – 4 pm
Teens Workshops: Close Enough – Tracing the Magnum Photographers (de)
Age: 14 – 18 years. Workshop with Iris Janke & Frauke Menzinger. Held in German. Registration via e-mail to Frauke Menzinger education@co-berlin.org
Details
Monday, Dec 1, 2025, 11 am – 8 pm
Extend Your Weekend
Admission-free Monday thanks to the Berliner Sparkasse’s “Mehr Kultur” funding initiative.
Details
Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025, 6 – 8 pm
Artist Talk + Book Launch (en)
With artist Lúa Ribeira and Boaz Levin (Curator, C/O Berlin). Held in English. Admission 12/6 euro (incl. exhibition). As part of the exhibition Close Enough, Lúa Ribeira presents her latest book “Agony in the Garden”, published in 2025 by Dalpine. In her second monograph, the series was created in the outskirts of Spanish cities in close collaboration with young people from contemporary counter-cultures. Ribeira’s images reflect the alienation, uncertainty, and contradictions of the present moment, set within landscapes that feel both current and timeless.
Details
Thursday, Dec 18, 2025, 7 – 9 pm
After-Work Tour + Drink (de)
Close Enough . Lisa Barnard . Isadora Romero. 20 Euro (incl. exhibitions).
Details
Opening hours during the holidays:
Dec 24, 2025: closed
Dec 25: 2 – 8 pm
Dec 26: 11 am – 8 pm
Dec 31: 11 am – 5 pm
Jan 1, 2026: 2 – 8 pm
Thursday, Jan 8, 2026, 7 – 9 pm
After-Work Tour + Drink (de)
Close Enough . Lisa Barnard . Isadora Romero. 20 Euro (incl. exhibitions).
Details
Thursday, Jan 22, 2026, 6 – 8 pm
Talking Books Expanded (en)
With artists Myriam Boulos & Olivia Arthur, and Boaz Levin (Curator, C/O Berlin). Held in English. Admission 12/ 6 euro (incl. exhibition).
Details
Close Enough – New Perspectives from 13 Women Photographers of Magnum
Charlotte Cotton, Andréa Holzherr, Cristina de Middel, Isabel Siben
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