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* 1982 in Berlin, lives in Hanover
Sophia Greiff is an author and curator for photography. She writes on the topic of photography since 2009 and is currently doing research as a doctoral candidate at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen on photojournalistic forms of narration and presentation in the photobook. From 2016 until April 2021 she worked as graduate research assistant in the program for Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts and, among other things, co-edited the books image/con/text. Dokumentarische Praktiken zwischen Journalismus, Kunst und Aktivismus (Reimer 2020) and Images in Conflict / Bilder im Konflikt (Jonas 2018).
Before, Sophia Greiff was co-curator of the Fotodoks Festival for Contemporary Documentary Photography in Munich (2011-2018), as well as a scholar of the program "Museum Curators for Photography" by the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation (2011-2013) with work stays at Münchner Stadtmuseum, Museum Folkwang Essen, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. She studied "Art and Culture Education" at Bremen University (Master of Arts), "Transforming Communities" at American University, Washington, D.C. and "Cultural Studies" at Europe-University Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder (Bachelor of Arts).
Curatorial Projects
Mario Wezel: Wanderjahre, Newcomer KWS Art Lounge, Einbeck, 27.06.-07.08.2019.
Scope Hannover: In Your Face, Städtische Galerie KUBUS, Galerie vom Zufall und vom Glück, Scope Galerie, C28 und Sprengel Museum, Hanover, 24.05.-30.06.2018.
Images in Conflict / Bilder im Konflikt, GAF – Galerie für Fotografie, Hanover, 18.05.-18.06.2017.
Fotodoks – Festival Contemporary Documentary Photography, Münchner Stadtmuseum, Lothringer13 Halle, Munich, 2011-2018.
Curatorial Assistant
Making It Up: Photographic Fictions (Curator Marta Weiss), Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 03.05.2013-12.01.2014.
Der Mensch und seine Objekte (Curator Ute Eskildsen), Museum Folkwang, Essen, 25.02.-29.04.2012.
Unsere Zeit hat ein neues Formgefühl. Fotografie der Zwanziger Jahre, (Curator Ute Eskildsen), Museum Folkwang, Essen, 28.04.-05.08.2012.
Book and Catalogue Contributions (selection)
„Zwischen Fakt und Erfahrbarkeit – Erzählen an den kreativen Rändern des Fotojournalismus“. In: Elke Grittmann, Felix Koltermann (Hg.): Fotojournalismus im Umbruch. Hybrid, multimedial, prekär, Cologne [Herbert von Halem] 2022, p. 405-431.
“Bending the Screen. Edmund Clark in Conversation with Sophia Greiff”. In: Karen Fromm, Sophia Greiff, Malte Radtki, Anna Stemmler (ed.): image/con/text. Dokumentarische Praktiken zwischen Journalismus, Kunst und Aktivismus, Berlin [Dietrich Reimer] 2020, p. 122-135.
„Beneath the Surface. Laia Abril in Conversation with Sophia Greiff”. In: Karen Fromm, Sophia Greiff, Malte Radtki, Anna Stemmler (ed.): image/con/text. Dokumentarische Praktiken zwischen Journalismus, Kunst und Aktivismus, Berlin [Dietrich Reimer] 2020, p. 150-161.
„War Photography is Personal. Konflikt als geteilte Erfahrung in Zeiten sozialer Medien und Smartphones“. In: Karen Fromm, Sophia Greiff, Anna Stemmler (ed.): Images in Conflict / Bilder im Konflikt, Kromsdorf/Weimar [Jonas] 2018, p. 55-79.
(Mis)Understanding Photography – Werke und Manifeste. Exhibition catalogue, Museum Folkwang Essen, Göttingen [Edition Folkwang/Steidl] 2014. [Concept, editing and texts]
„Street Photography in Berlin“. In: Jackie Higgins (ed.): The World Atlas of Street Photography. London/New Haven [Thames & Hudson/Yale University Press] 2014, p. 182-183.
Text contributions and editing for Museum Folkwang (ed.): Unsere Zeit hat ein neues Formgefühl. Fotografie der zwanziger Jahre. Göttingen [Edition Folkwang/Steidl] 2012, pp. 12-13, 18, 65.
Text contributions for C/O Berlin (ed.): unheimlich vertraut. Bilder vom Terror / The Uncanny Familiar. Images of Terror. Köln [Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König] 2011, pp. 130, 158-159, 162-163, 188-189.
Text contributions for Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (ed.): Portraits in Serie. Fotografien eines Jahrhunderts. Bielefeld [Kerber] 2011, pp. 74-75, 120-121.
Talents 20. Zurückgelassen. Friederike Brandenburg, Sophia Greiff. Berlin/München [C/O’s e.V./Deutscher Kunstverlag] 2010.
Journals (selection)
„In Productive Crisis Mode“. In: L. Fritz: "Krise in der Fotografie", No. 7, 2021, Cologne [Internationale Photoszene], p. 58-61.
„Artefakte der Recherche. Text, Dokument und Found Footage als narrative Elemente im Fotobuch“. In: Anja Schürmann, Steffen Siegel (ed.): Fotogeschichte: „Weiterblättern! Neue Perspektiven der Fotobuchforschung“, volume 41, issue 159/2021, p. 21-28.
„Weg von alten Mustern. Interview: Florian Sturm.“. In: Medium Magazin, volume 33, issue 4/2019, Freilassing [Johann Oberauer] p. 60-61.
„Carlos Spottorno und Guillermo Abril: Der Riss“. In: Camera Austria International, issue 140/2017, Graz, p. 82-83.
„Fotoreportage und Graphic Novel. Carlos Spottorno & Guillermo Abril: Der Riss“. In: Photonews – Zeitung für Fotografie, volume 29, issue 11/2017, Hamburg [Denis Brudna], p. 24-25.
„Fertiges Fotobuch – und jetzt? Ein Gespräch mit dem Verlagsvertreter Kurt Salchli“. In: FREELENS Magazin, issue 34/2013, Hamburg, p. 27-29.
Lectures and Talks (selection)
Live Talk „Visual Research and the Photobook“ with photographer and artist Laia Abril during the 7. Lumix Festival for Young Visual Journalism, Hanover, July 2020.
In conversation with Alexander Hagmann, „dieMotive – Podcast zur Kultur der Fotografie“, July 2020.
Lecturer at the workshop „Neue Perspektiven der Fotobuchforschung“, Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut, Essen, July 2019.
Lecture „Alternative Storytelling in Contemporary Photojournalism“ at the conference „Beyond the Documentary“, Organ Vida International Photography Festival, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, September 2017.
Lecture „Curating Photography – Fotodoks Behind the Scenes“, Kulturni Centar Beograda / Artget Galerija, Belgrade, November 2016.
Portfolio Reviews
Chobi Mela, Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 2019.
Organ Vida International Photography Festival, Zagreb, September 2017.
Rencontres de la Photographie, Arles, July 2015 und 2017.
Athens Photo Festival, Benaki Museum, Athens, June 2015.
European Month of Photography, Vienna, November 2014.
Teaching
LUMIX-Festival / Practice and Theory of Curating and Exhibition, Photojournalism and Documentary Photography, Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, summer term 2020.
Practice and Theory of Curating and Exhibition, Photojournalism and Documentary Photography / International Class, Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, summer term 2017.
BA-concept and project development (preparation for the Bachelor degree), Photojournalism and Documentary Photography, Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 2016-2020.
Memberships
Since 2021 support member of the Female Photoclub
Since 2019 founding member of the Association for the Promotion of Visual Media e.V.
Since 2016 appointed member of the German Association for Photography (DGPh)
Since 2011 founding member of Fotodoks e.V.
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© Armin Smailovic
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exhibition „Mario Wezel: Wanderjahre“, Newcomer KWS Art Lounge, Einbeck, 2019
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sofa talk "Focus International“ with partner universities of the International Class: Karen Fromm, Donald Weber, Tanzim Wahab, Sophia Greiff, Savvas Lazaridis, Robert Barrio (l.t.r.), Lumix Festival, Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 2018 © Ilkay Karakurt
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exhibition „Unglaublich - Incredibile“, Münchner Stadtmuseum, Fotodoks, 2011 © Matthias Oertel
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sponsorship association of the photographic collection of the Folkwang Museum visiting the Goethe Exil, Hanover, 2020
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ZEITmagazin awarding to Linn Schröder, Fotodoks, 2013 © Katrin Petroschkat
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exhibition „In Your Face“, Heikki Kaski, Staedtische Galerie Kubus, Scope, 2018
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installation of the exhibition „Unglaublich - Incredibile“, Münchner Stadtmuseum, Fotodoks, 2011 © Stefan Becker
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portfolio review with Dominic Nahr and students, Visa pour l’image, Perpignan, 2016 © Maximilian von Lachner
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exhibition „Crossroads“, curating class of the International Class, Platzprojekt, Hanover, 2017 © Maximilian von Lachner
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catalogue „Achtung!? - Respect, Control, Change“, Fotodoks, 2012
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talk with Armin Smailovic and Sophia Greiff, container of the Royal Academy of Art The Hague, Lumix Festival, Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 2018 © Ilkay Karakurt
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Bachelor exhibition „allesun[d]ordnung“, Galerie für Fotografie, Hanover, 2020
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publication „image/con/text“, Beltz printing, 2020
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opening of the Bachelor exhibition „Common Grounds“, Galerie für Fotografie, Hanover, 2017 © Maximilian von Lachner