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Gropius Bau Unveils 454-Work Diane Arbus Retrospective in Immersive Grid Installation

Built from Neil Selkirk’s posthumous print set acquired by Maja Hoffmann, the presentation emphasizes a humanist reading of Arbus’s portraits.

Overview

  • The exhibition Diane Arbus: Konstellationen opened on October 15, 2025 in Berlin and runs through January 18, 2026, showing nearly twice as many images as the venue’s 2012 Arbus retrospective.
  • All 454 black-and-white prints derive from the single set Neil Selkirk developed and retained—one print per image—later purchased in 2011 by collector Maja Hoffmann.
  • The installation departs from conventional wall hanging, mounting photographs on freestanding black grids that create a non-linear, labyrinthine viewing path.
  • The Berlin presentation builds on curator Matthieu Humery’s hierarchless concept first realized at LUMA Arles in 2023.
  • Curatorial notes and reviews position Arbus’s portraits toward a humanist interpretation, engaging long-standing critiques such as Susan Sontag’s “Freak Show.”