Namibian photographers spotlighted in Berlin

Berlin’s Fotogalerie Friedrichshain, the city’s oldest photography gallery, turned 40 August.

To celebrate, the gallery staged a sweeping anniversary exhibition that paired local history with global perspectives.

Alongside archival works from East Berlin and New York in the 1980s, the exhibition spotlighted four Namibian photographers from the Reframe Namibia project, underscoring Berlin’s unique cultural connection with Windhoek, its only sister city on the African continent.

The inclusion of Namibian artists was more than a nod to this partnership.

It was a statement about what photography can achieve today: authentic, personal storytelling that crosses borders and resonates with audiences far beyond the immediate community.

The works were selected through the Reframe Namibia masterclass, a collaborative project designed to nurture new voices.

In a recent interview, Fotogalerie Friedrichshain’s Felix Hawran said it was important for German audiences to see work from Namibia due to our shared history.

“We wanted to present something new that wasn’t in the old exhibition. This is ‘Shadows of the Past’, which makes it very clear for Germans to understand: we did genocide in Namibia,” he says of Julia Runge’s series, which turned its lens on traditional Herero culture.

The other artists shown were Elago Akwaake, capturing the drag and queer scene in Namibia; our own Martha Mukaiwa, with images of salon spaces focusing on social and emotional worlds that unfold in ordinary settings; and Rachel Sakeus who explored identity through hair politics.

Taken together, these different perspectives formed a layered portrait of a nation grappling with questions of belonging, self-expression and history.

The exhibition also raised an important question: why are professional photography and physical exhibitions still relevant in an age where nearly everyone documents their lives on social media?

For Hawran, the answer lies in depth and process. Social platforms encourage rapid posting and superficial consumption.

By contrast, projects like Reframe Namibia demand that photographers slow down, research their subjects and commit to a theme over time.

This rigour produces images that do more than capture a fleeting moment, they tell stories that are deeply personal and universally resonant.

“It’s about the process that these selected photographers go through… you have to find your project that is very dear to you, and you have to go really deep into your topic,” he said.

The Berlin audience, accustomed to engaging with art critically, according to Hawran, has been receptive. Visitors readily connect Namibia’s visual narratives to the broader context of colonial history and contemporary global issues.

Hawran also noted that the works that succeed most are those that “go where it hurts”, such as images that tackle sensitive, overlooked or difficult themes rather than settling for the generic or decorative.

For emerging photographers, he offers some advice: avoid scattering efforts across random subjects. Instead, find one idea that truly resonates, follow it like a detective, and push into uncomfortable spaces if necessary.

Above all, let personality shine through. The strongest images often come from those who approach their subjects with respect, curiosity and openness.

In that sense, the Namibian section of Fotogalerie Friedrichshain’s anniversary exhibition was not only a celebration of the gallery’s past but also an invitation to think about the future.

Ours ties to Germany will not soon be forgotten, and art is an amazing way to tell these stories and share these perspectives, which matter.
– Anne Hambuda is a poet, writer and social commentator. Follow her online or email her at annehambuda@gmail.com for more.

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