Most recent articles by Felix Koltermann
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French festival showcases contemporary Turkish photographyTruths that buck the official discourse
"A Pillar of Smoke", currently on show in the southern French city of Arles as part of the "Les Rencontres d'Arles" festival, reveals the lively diversity of contemporary Turkish photography. The major group exhibition also highlights the political nature of the photographersʹ work. By Felix Koltermann
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Kai Wiedenhofer′s ″War on Wall″In your face... and rightly so
With the comprehensive coverage devoted to the latest events in and around Aleppo, the war in Syria is once again astoundingly present in Germany and its media. The urgency of the conflict can be felt most strongly at the moment in Berlin, where the photographer Kai Wiedenhofer has posted his images of the region on the remains of the Berlin Wall. By Felix Koltermann
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Urban appropriation in JerusalemMamilla and the Tower of David
The Jerusalem district of Mamilla, located between West Jerusalem and the Old City, is an outstanding example of how urban planning decisions alter the public space and create a new visual reality with great political resonance. Felix Koltermann took a look around
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Photography Biennale of the Contemporary Arab WorldA feast for the eyes
With media reports on the Arab world focused on the political conflicts and current discussions dominated by dealing with migration from the region, the photo biennale in Paris shines as a beacon of diversity and pluralism. Felix Koltermann visited the exhibition for Qantara
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The Israeli Press Photography Prize″Local Testimony″
Every autumn, when the World Press Photo Award comes to Tel Aviv, some of the best press photographs by photojournalists from Israel and the Palestinian territories are chosen for display in the exhibition's "Local Testimony" section. Felix Koltermann reports from the Eretz Israel Museum
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Interview with the Israeli artist Guy BrillerThe Jerulin process
Two years ago Guy Briller left Jerusalem and moved to Berlin. Felix Koltermann talked to him about his extensive artwork in the Holy City, the new experiences he has gained in Berlin, questions of belonging and the relevance of the East-West conflict
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Interview with the German-Afghan photographer Lela AhmadzaiThe undaunted women of Kabul
In her latest photo series, German-Afghan photographer and multimedia journalist Lela Ahmadzai documents the life of four Afghan women who are intent on leading self-determined lives, despite the social pressure to conform. An interview by Felix Koltermann
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Art from Iraq and the Armenian diaspora in VeniceA far cry from what we′ve seen before
While in the mass media, the war of images with and over Islamic State is making headlines, very little attention has been paid to the visual art being created in the region. To get an idea of the diversity of artistic production in the Arab world and the Middle East, head to this year′s international Venice Biennale. Felix Koltermann was in the city on the lagoon, and introduces the most exciting national contributions and artistic installations from the region
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Kai Wiedenhofer's photo project "Forty out of one million"Giving victims a face and a voice
Berlin photographer Kai Wiedenhofer is perhaps best known for the many years he has spent documenting the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He has recently initiated a new photo project: "Forty out of one million" focuses on the fate of refugees who have fled the Syrian war. Felix Koltermann spoke to him about his work
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The image policy of ISTerror in the spotlight
In this essay, Felix Koltermann takes a closer look at the image policy of IS and how media and politicians around the world have reacted to it. He argues that in spite of the horror of the images being disseminated by IS, it is important not to fall into the rhetoric of a war of images, because the goal of such a rhetoric is to take pictorial acts as a justification for military action
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Photo project "This Place"A missed opportunity
Twelve international photographers set out to explore Israel and the West Bank through the lenses of their cameras for the photo project "This Place". The aim was to see Israel as a metaphor and to go beyond the stereotypes. According to Felix Koltermann, however, the project makes no more than a marginal contribution to a more profound engagement with the reality of the region
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Photography: Ara Güler retrospectiveThe man who photographed Istanbul
The exhibition "Ara Güler: Photographs 1950–2005" at the Willi Brandt House in Berlin runs until 1 February 2015. The focus of the exhibition is the Turkish metropolis Istanbul, a city that Güler has spent his entire life documenting. Felix Koltermann visited the retrospective