C/O Berlin

C/O Berlin is a private exhibition institution and cultural brand dedicated primarily to photography and visual media. Founded in Berlin in 2000 by Stephan Erfurt, Marc Naroska and Ingo Pott, it developed from a private initiative into one of Germany's best-known platforms for photographic exhibitions, artistic discovery and visual-media education. The name refers to the postal expression "care of" and recalls the institution's first principal home in Berlin's former Royal Post Office, or Postfuhramt, in the Mitte district. The institution initially presented a retrospective of the Magnum photo agency at the Postfuhramt. When Deutsche Post leased the building in 2001, C/O Berlin temporarily moved to a former foundry at Linienstraße 144. Between 2001 and 2006, it used approximately 1,000 square metres across four floors to show work by photographers including René Burri, Barbara Klemm, James Nachtwey, Gilles Peress, Margaret Bourke-White and Tom Wood. In June 2006, the organization returned to the Postfuhramt under a temporary-use arrangement. Its program there expanded to include major solo exhibitions by artists such as Sibylle Bergemann, Larry Clark, Gregory Crewdson, Nan Goldin, Annie Leibovitz, Peter Lindbergh, Robert Mapplethorpe and Bettina Rheims. The sale of the Postfuhramt eventually required another move. C/O Berlin held its final major event in the Mitte location in March 2013 and signed a long-term rental agreement for the historic Amerika Haus in Charlottenburg on December 12, 2012. After renovation led by architect Holger Sack's B19 practice, the institution reopened there on October 30, 2014. The restored building provides nearly 2,500 square metres for exhibitions and related activities. Its architectural renewal received the Association of German Architects' BDA Award Berlin in 2015. C/O Berlin presents up to twelve exhibitions in a typical year, combining historical surveys, contemporary photography, commissioned projects and presentations by emerging artists. Its international program has included artists such as Daidō Moriyama, William Eggleston, Susan Meiselas, Lee Friedlander, Francesca Woodman, Linda McCartney, Robert Frank, Boris Mikhailov, Nobuyoshi Araki, Sebastião Salgado, Anton Corbijn, Irving Penn and many others. The institution also works with museums and cultural organizations including The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Albertina in Vienna, Fotomuseum Winterthur, Fundación MAPFRE in Madrid, the Sprengel Museum in Hanover and Museum Folkwang in Essen. Talent development is a central part of the brand. Through the C/O Berlin Talent Award and its earlier support activities, the institution has supported more than 80 prizewinners since 2006, including photographers, artists and theorists. Since 2018, the annual award has combined financial support with a solo exhibition and publication. C/O Berlin describes the program as unusual in supporting both artistic and theoretical talent. Its education department extends the mission through workshops and programs for children, teenagers, adults and professional or emerging participants, covering photography, film and design. C/O Berlin is financed through admissions and book sales, sponsorships, project grants, donations and contributions from the C/O Berlin Friends supporters' association. Since 2020 it has also received support from the State of Berlin. The C/O Berlin Foundation provides the nonprofit framework. Stephan Erfurt leads the foundation, while co-founder Marc Naroska remains responsible for the corporate identity of the C/O Berlin brand. Since November 2024, Sophia Greiff and Boaz Levin have been responsible for the artistic program.

C/O Berlin began in 2000 as a private initiative founded by Stephan Erfurt, Marc Naroska and Ingo Pott. Its first public exhibition, a retrospective devoted to the Magnum photo agency, took place in Berlin's former Royal Post Office, known as the Postfuhramt. The postal meaning of "c/o" became both a reference to that original setting and a distinctive part of the institution's identity. When Deutsche Post leased the Postfuhramt in 2001, C/O Berlin moved to a former foundry at Linienstraße 144 in Mitte. The approximately 1,000-square-metre venue operated across four floors and hosted exhibitions by photographers including René Burri, Barbara Klemm, James Nachtwey, Gilles Peress, Margaret Bourke-White and Tom Wood. In 2006, after negotiating temporary use of the former post office, C/O Berlin returned to the Postfuhramt. The larger premises enabled a substantial expansion of the exhibition program, including solo presentations by Sibylle Bergemann, Larry Clark, Gregory Crewdson, Leonard Freed, Nan Goldin, Thomas Hoepker, Annie Leibovitz, Peter Lindbergh, Robert Mapplethorpe, Arnold Newman, Martin Parr and Bettina Rheims. The temporary arrangement ended after the building was sold to a Berlin biotechnology company. C/O Berlin marked its departure from Mitte with a closing celebration on March 9, 2013. With support from Berlin's cultural administration, it secured a long-term lease for Amerika Haus in Charlottenburg on December 12, 2012. Designed in the 1950s from a SOM Chicago sketch and detailed by architect Bruno Grimmek, Amerika Haus had previously served as a United States cultural and information center. The building was renovated under B19 architect Holger Sack and reopened as C/O Berlin on October 30, 2014. The project received the 2015 Berlin BDA Award. At Amerika Haus, C/O Berlin operates nearly 2,500 square metres of exhibition and event space. Its program spans established and emerging photographers, historical and contemporary work, visual-media research, publications and public education. The institution has mounted more than 180 exhibitions since its foundation and collaborates with international museums and cultural organizations, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Albertina, Fotomuseum Winterthur, Fundación MAPFRE, the Sprengel Museum and Museum Folkwang. Talent development has remained a defining activity. Since 2006, C/O Berlin has supported more than 80 award recipients in photography, artistic practice and theory. The C/O Berlin Talent Award, presented annually since 2018, pairs recognition with prize support, a solo exhibition and a publication. Education programs are organized for Junior, Teens, Adults and Perspectives audiences and address photography, film and design through workshops and other learning formats. The institution's nonprofit foundation is supported by admission and book revenue, sponsorships, grants, donations and the C/O Berlin Friends association. State support from Berlin was added in 2020. Stephan Erfurt leads the foundation, Marc Naroska oversees the brand's corporate identity, and Sophia Greiff and Boaz Levin have jointly led the artistic program since November 2024.

• 2024

  New artistic program leadership

  [1]C/O Berlinen.wikipedia.org

  Sophia Greiff and Boaz Levin assume joint responsibility for the artistic program from November.

• 2020

  State of Berlin support begins

  [1]C/O Berlinen.wikipedia.org

  C/O Berlin receives support from the State of Berlin as part of its mixed nonprofit funding model.

• 2018

  C/O Berlin Talent Award established in annual form

  [1]C/O Berlinen.wikipedia.org

  The institution begins presenting the annual C/O Berlin Talent Award with an exhibition and publication as part of the support package.

• 2015

  BDA Award Berlin

  [1]C/O Berlinen.wikipedia.org

  The renovated Amerika Haus receives the Berlin award of the Association of German Architects.

• 2014

  Amerika Haus reopening

  [1]C/O Berlinen.wikipedia.org

  Following an extensive renovation, C/O Berlin reopens its exhibition space at Amerika Haus on October 30.

• 2013

  Departure from Mitte

  [1]C/O Berlinen.wikipedia.org

  C/O Berlin holds a farewell event at the Postfuhramt before moving its main operations to Charlottenburg.

• 2012

  Long-term Amerika Haus agreement

  [1]C/O Berlinen.wikipedia.org

  C/O Berlin signs a long-term rental contract for Amerika Haus in Charlottenburg with support from Berlin's cultural administration.

• 2006

  Return to the Postfuhramt

  [1]C/O Berlinen.wikipedia.org

  The institution returns to the former Royal Post Office under a temporary-use arrangement and expands its exhibition scale.

• 2001

  Temporary move to Linienstraße

  [1]C/O Berlinen.wikipedia.org

  C/O Berlin moves to a former foundry after Deutsche Post leases the Postfuhramt.

• 2000

  C/O Berlin is founded

  [1]C/O Berlinen.wikipedia.org

  Stephan Erfurt, Marc Naroska and Ingo Pott establish C/O Berlin as a private exhibition initiative and present its first public show at the former Postfuhramt.

An independent, internationally connected Berlin institution that combines museum-quality photography exhibitions with emerging-talent support, visual-media education and a distinctive architectural venue.

• Photography and visual-media exhibitions · 2000

  C/O Berlin exhibitions

  The core offering is a rotating program of photography and visual-media exhibitions, generally combining major historical figures, contemporary artists, emerging practitioners and thematic projects. The institution mounts up to twelve exhibitions in a typical year and has presented more than 180 exhibitions since its founding. Its program includes both self-organized projects and collaborations with museums and cultural institutions in Germany and abroad.

• Artist and theorist development · 2006

  C/O Berlin Talent Award

  The Talent Award supports emerging photographers, artists and theorists. Since 2018, the annual award has combined recognition with prize support, a solo exhibition and a publication. The wider talent program has supported more than 80 recipients since 2006 and is designed to develop both artistic practice and critical writing or theory.

• Arts education

  C/O Berlin Education

  The education program offers workshops and learning activities for children, teenagers, adults and participants in the Perspectives track. Its subject areas include photography, film and design, linking practical visual training with the institution's exhibition program and broader engagement with visual culture.

• Art books and exhibition catalogues · 2000

  C/O Berlin publications

  Books and exhibition publications extend the institution's projects beyond the gallery. Publications are also part of the Talent Award support package, giving selected emerging artists and theorists a durable platform for presenting their work and ideas.

• 2024

  Change artistic program leadershipStrategy

  Background

  C/O Berlin continued to develop its international exhibition and talent program while retaining co-founder Marc Naroska's responsibility for the brand's corporate identity.

  Action taken

  Sophia Greiff and Boaz Levin assumed joint responsibility for the artistic program from November 2024.

  Aftermath

  The change created a new shared artistic leadership structure while the founding team continued to hold key institutional and brand responsibilities.

  Source

• 2018

  Formalize the annual Talent AwardStrategy

  Background

  C/O Berlin had supported emerging photographers, artists and theorists since 2006 and sought to make that development work a visible recurring part of its program.

  Action taken

  The institution began presenting the annual C/O Berlin Talent Award, pairing recognition with an exhibition and publication.

  Aftermath

  The award became a central expression of C/O Berlin's commitment to emerging talent in both artistic practice and visual-media theory.

  Source

• 2012

  Secure a permanent-style home at Amerika HausStrategy

  Background

  The sale of the Postfuhramt ended C/O Berlin's temporary use of its established Mitte venue and created the need for a larger, stable location.

  Action taken

  With support from Berlin's cultural administration, C/O Berlin signed a long-term rental agreement for Amerika Haus in Charlottenburg and commissioned its renovation for exhibition use.

  Aftermath

  The institution reopened in 2014 in a renovated building with nearly 2,500 square metres and received the 2015 Berlin BDA Award.

  Source

1. 1C/O Berlinen.wikipedia.org
2. 2C/O Berlin official websiteco-berlin.info