Installation views of exhibitions organized by Collection Regard in its premise as well as in other institutions since 2011
Marc Barbey is dedicated to collecting photographs and has built up a collection which spans the earliest days of photography into the 1990’s. The emphasis is on Berlin and German photography.
As its French name "Regard" suggests, the collection hopes to inspire a deeper gaze towards that which is being viewed. The collection aims to further the discovery and re-discovery of photographers that deserve our attention.
The extensive oeuvre of Hein Gorny (1904-1967) takes in so far a special position, because Marc Barbey is entrusted with the administration of his estate. Further to the inventorisation and archivation of the still largely unknown oeuvre of Hein Gorny, the collection focuses on making the oeuvre public and to help ensure that Hein Gorny is perceived as the great photographer he has been.
Since 2011, 2 to 3 exhibitions per year have been presented in the collection. All the presented photographers are represented in the collection but the exhibitions are being produced with a vast majority of works from the archives of the presented photographers. Almost all exhibitions are accompanied by catalogs and a program of events with the aim to participate to the photographic discourse and increase the recognition of the represented photographers.
Moreover 2 to 8 external exhibitions/ participations per year in Germany and internationally are beeing organised or co-organised with festivals, museums and galleries.
Shows and participations have been organised in Arles with the FOTOHAUS since its foundation, in Paris with Goethe Institut, Galerie Binome and Librairie Métamorphoses, in Bologna with Foto Industria, in Moscow with MAMM, in Vendôme with Promenades Photographiques, in Mannheim with Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie, in Frankfurt in the Städel Museum, in Belem with the Goethe Institute, in Bordeaux with the Goethe Institut and FOTOHAUS.
"Salon Photographique" are being held regularly with book presentations, film evenings or artist talks to create a frame offering the possibility to photographers, institutions, curators and photography enthusiasts to interact.
The sale of limited editions as well as vintage prints to institutions and collectors are part of the work of the collection.
With its work the Collection Regard deliberately takes up a position between a gallery and a museum. Collection Regard is situated in the Mitte district of Berlin and offers, in contrast to classic "white cube" showrooms, a cozy setting. It is a salon for like-minded and curious people and is intended to provide immediate access to the works and allow an exchange about photography.
After 12 years, the Collection Regard will close its doors as a gallery at the end of 2023. We sincerely thank all photographers, institutions, partners, photo enthusiasts and collectors who have contributed and supported this endeavor. The collection and the archive will remain.
"I want to create a space for dialogue and deep engagement with photography. A space people feel they’d enjoy returning to – often. Berlin is the perfect city for my collection. Both its history and its incredibly fast development are vividly present in everyday life, creating a dynamic field of tensions in which I hope to engage with fellow art and photography enthusiasts. I can’t imagine any place better than Berlin than to do just that".
Marc Barbey