“A photograph can confirm what we implicitly understand but cannot express. In my opinion, the best images are those for which we cannot find words.” – Roger Ballen

With roger ballen.! drawing meets photography, Fotografiska Berlin turns its lens on one of contemporary photography’s most influential figures. Roger Ballen, who has lived and worked in South Africa since 1982, works across photography, drawing, painting, sculpture, installation and film. Drawing has played an especially transformative role in his work since the late 1990s, as line has moved increasingly to the foreground of his photographic language. Drawn faces, animals and ambiguous forms appear alongside wires, marks and other graphic elements across his photographs, painted-over Polaroids and large-scale drawings.

At Fotografiska Berlin, this visual world extends beyond the photographic frame: a screening room, found objects, and sculptural interventions structure the exhibition, while a site-specific installation connects the gallery space with the loft.

*This exhibition was created in collaboration with museum gugging and curated by Nina Ansperger, Artistic Director, museum gugging. It was co-curated by Marie-Luise Mayer, Exhibitions Manager at Fotografiska Berlin, in collaboration with the artist.