It is one of the main objectives of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation to encourage academic exchange on the subject. In collaboration with partners from an international network of museums, universities and other institutions, the Foundation develops ideas and creates platforms to enable the dialogue among interested members of the public and artists, critics, curators and scientists. To this end, the Foundation holds events on current developments in the photography scene and organises symposia, lectures and artist talks.

The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photographie (DGPh) are again jointly offering the two prizes “Thinking Photography. DGPh Research Award” and the “Writing Photography. DGPh Award for Innovative Publication”. The awards are presented every two years, most recently in 2020 to Carolin Görgen (Thinking Photography. DGPh Research Award) and Stefan Vanthuyne (Writing Photography. DGPh Award for Innovative Publication).

The “Thinking Photography. DGPh Research Award” recognises approaches in the humanities, cultural studies and social sciences constituting exceptional contributions to photography research. The prize is awarded to qualification theses (master’s theses, diploma theses or dissertations) or other independent publications connected to an expansion of research perspectives on the medium of photography. With no thematic restrictions or guidelines in terms of methods and approaches, special attention is given to works committed to venturing beyond disciplinary or methodological boundaries. Published or unpublished texts from the last two years can be submitted. The prize is endowed with €3,000.

However, photography is no longer debated and reflected upon exclusively in scientific publications. Rather, a digital culture of discussion has developed that is innovatively dedicated to all facets of the medium. The “Writing Photography. DGPh Award for Innovative Publication” therefore recognices innovative publications on photography and awards journalistic, essayistic and other publications. This prize directs its particular focus on smaller publications such as exemplarily selected blog posts, columns and reviews, online publications and formats which creatively combine texts and photographic material. Individual published content, either digital or analogue, from the last two years can be submitted. The prize is endowed with €1,000.

An international jury will select the awards’ recipients. The award ceremony will be held as part of a public event, jointly organised by the DGPh and the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in 2023.

The jury

The jury members for both awards are: Dr. Carolin Görgen, Asscoiate professor Sorbonne Université, Paris, Department of American Studies, award winner “Thinking Photography” 2020; Alexandra König, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation; Renée Mussai, Curator and Researcher, Autograph London; Miriam Zlobinski, Section Chair History and Archives, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photographie (DGPh).

How do photographers manage their legacies in the digital era? What new opportunities and challenges do technological advances and the Internet bring about? What tools and mechanisms can help ensure the life of photographic work? What are some of the questions that new channels of dissemination are raising about control over the work?

Photographer Cristina de Middel, Oliver Halsman from the Philippe Halsman estate, Peter Marlow’s estate representative Fiona Naylor, and an Artistate estate planner and NFT expert discussed different ways to approach legacy planning in the digital era. The talk was held by Ana Cruz Yabar on 11 November 2022. This talk was organized in partnership with the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation and the Goethe Institut.

The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation has supported the one-day symposium of the 10th edition of the Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie on 21 April 2018 that examined and discussed the annual topic of the festival "Perspectives - Strategies of photographic acting" from different angles. International experts in photography, renowned curators and participating artists of the festival presented their perspectives and strategies on working with photography.

Together with the two renowned experts Professor Dr Annette Brauerhoch (film scholar, Universität Paderborn) and Dr Simon Wendt (American Studies Assistant Professor, Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main) the Deutsche Boerse Photography Foundation took a closer look at Gordon Parks as a filmmaker, photographer and political activist during a panel discussion on 11 December 2017. What was the reciprocal effect of his work as a photojournalist and filmmaker, both on a thematic and aesthetic level? Did he succeed in using his photography to fight the suppression and exploitation of minorities? What influence did the US Civil Rights Movement have on his view of the world? These are some of the questions that were important to the experts to reach a deeper understanding of Gordon Parks, his many talents and complex body of work.

On the occasion of the international photo agency Magnum's 70th anniversary the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation put together a programme for 24 and 25 November 2017 in cooperation with Magnum Photos and Leica Camera Frankfurt, that allowed to meet Magnum members in Frankfurt.

A symposium offered insights into Magnum's history and current developments through live panel discussions with photographers Thomas Dworzak (DE), David Hurn (UK) and Newsha Tavakolian (IRN) as well as with film sequences from the project "Magnum Time" by Marco Bischof, a Zurich filmmaker and son of Magnum photographer Werner Bischof. The evening was chaired by Marco Bischof and Anne-Marie Beckmann. The programme also comprised a one-day workshop for the interested audience with portfolio reviews and presentations by the three Magnum photographers Dworzak, Hurn and Tavakolian.

An accompanying exhibition showed photographs by Magnum members from 24 November and 9 December 2017. The exhibition displayed works from the Art Collection Deutsche Börse as well as from the Leica Gallery, spanning from the early 1950s until today. With images from photographers such as Werner Bischof, Thomas Hoepker, Martin Parr, Paul Fusco and Alec Soth, many different photographic approaches were represented.

This video offers a little impression of the event.

In collaboration with C/O Berlin, the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation organised a series of events between June 2016 and April 2017. Six discussion panels and lectures examined issues such as surveillance, big data and the dissemination of private moments online from different perspectives. Panelists and lecturers included internationally renowned artists such as Hasan Elahi or Beat Streuli, sociologists such as Harald Welzer, politicians (e.g. Heiko Maas, German Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection), the author James Bridle as well as psychologists, media experts and various legal experts.

Jonas Bendiksen and Thomas Dworzak, 20 April 2021, artist talk. In an event accompanying the presentation “Open for Business – Magnum photographers on commission”, the curators of the exhibition, Anne-Marie Beckmann (Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation) and Mirjam Kooiman (Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam) discussed the special challenges of working on group commissions with the two Magnum photographers Jonas Bendiksen and Thomas Dworzak.

Cristina De Middel and Martin Parr, 16 December 2020, artist talk. On the occasion of the exhibition "Open for Business - Magnum photographers on commission", Anne-Marie Beckmann talked to the two photographers about the practice of commercial commissioned work in general, about its role within the renowned Magnum Photos agency and about the interaction between their personal work and commissions from companies and organizations.

Susan Meiselas, 7 November 2019, Artist Talk at Magnum Photos, Paris. The Director of the Photography Foundation, Anne-Marie Beckmann, was be in conversation with the photographer Susan Meiselas, who was the winner of this year's Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize and whose works are also part of the collection.

Sylvain Couzinet-Jacques and Jaya Pelupessy, Artist talk at the HfG (Hochschule für Gestaltung) Offenbach with the two up-and-coming artists from the Foam Talent program with Anne-Marie Beckmann (Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation) and Marcel Feil (Foam Fotografie Museum Amsterdam) about their work and the participation in support programs for young artists.

Dana Lixenberg, Julian Röder and Tobias Zielony, 25 June 2019, Artist Talk at Foam Amsterdam with Anne-Marie Beckmann about their works and topics such as identity, subcultures, their representation and the influence of social media on these aspects on their work.

John Stezaker, 9 April 2019, in conversation with Anne-Marie Beckmann about his photographic work at The Photographers' Gallery in London.

Lucas Foglia, 5 September 2017, lecture by the American photographer on his new photo book "Human Nature" and on the stories behind the images.

Hosam Katan, 29 November 2016, presentation by the young Syrian photographer of his photographs documenting the civil war in Aleppo.

The renowned British-Egyptian photographer Laura El-Tantawy will take up the first international short-term guest professorship in photography at the Dresden University of Fine Arts (HfBK) in the summer semester 2023. This professorship is made possible by the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in cooperation with the Dresden-based association Portraits Hellerau e.V. Laura El-Tantawy will also be appointed to the jury of the PORTRAITS – Hellerau Photography Award 2023.

The common goal of the three partners is to expand artistic teaching at the HfBK Dresden in the field of photography through this new international guest professorship. The existing teaching programme at the HfBK Dresden will be complemented by a project-based workshop for master students and advanced students, which will be led by Laura El-Tantawy. An exhibition in June 2023 in the rooms of the academy will show the students’ works created during the workshop.

Laura El-Tantawy (*1980) dedicates her artistic work primarily to themes that encompass the search for identity, belonging, ecological aspects and social issues. She combines documentary to painterly-abstract photographs with each other. In 2005, she moved to Cairo and started her famous photo book “In the Shadow of the Pyramids” (2015). This deals with the Arab Spring in Cairo from 2011–2013, where she combines old family photos, testimonies, portraits of demonstrators and street scenes. Her works have already received numerous awards; among others, the artist was selected for the shortlist of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize in 2016.

The decision to award the guest professorship was made by a joint jury of the three partner institutions. The workshop and exhibition as well as the inclusion of the guest professor in the jury of the PORTRAITS Hellerau – Photography Award 2023 aims to convey new impulses to the students and to strengthen Dresden as a place for contemporary artistic photography.