Roger Melis | Künstlerportraits

“The portraits of Roger Melis (1940–2009) are legendary. Like few others, the Berlin photographer has shaped the “face” of modern German literature since the early 1960s and has also given visual and performing artists an unmistakable face. When you think of Johannes Bobrowski, Heiner Müller, Thomas Brasch and Christa Wolf, you usually see his pictures. Photographs such as those of the exhausted Anna Seghers, of Wolf Biermann on the Weidendammer Bridge or Sarah Kirsch on her departure boxes have become “icons” over the years due to their historical significance. With over 100 original prints from 40 years, the exhibition brings to life the entire spectrum of Roger Melis’s often praised portrait art and, with well-known photographs as well as many that are being exhibited for the first time, also sheds light on the lively intellectual life of the East German cultural scene. …”