Meditations in an Emergency

Friday, Jan 17 – Mar 7, 2020

Concurrent with New Formations, Catherine Edelman Gallery is honored to present Meditations in an Emergency, Bettina von Zwehl's latest portrait series inspired by the teenage die-ins that were staged shortly after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Von Zwehl presents seventeen portraits of New York City teenagers (the result of the first artist-in-residence at the New York Historical Society) in the classic silhouette profile, describing the photographs as death masks sculpted from life. These seventeen portraits honor the number of victims of the school shooting on Valentine's Day, 2018, and serve as a testament to the endurance and practice of protest and teen activism. Presented in a small quiet room on the gallery's lower level, Meditations in an Emergency offers viewers a moment to reflect and think about the power of protest. 
 

Bettina von Zwehl was born in Munich, Germany (1971) and currently lives in London. She received her MA from the Royal College of Art (London) in 1999. Solo exhibitions of her work have been held at a number of leading European and American museums and galleries including the New York Historical Society (New York City, 2018), the Sigmund Freud Museum (Vienna, 2016) Freud Museum (London, 2016), Fotogaleriet (Oslo, 2014), National Portrait Gallery (London, 2014), Centrum Kultury Zamek (Poznan, 2011), Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood (London, 2009) and The Photographers Gallery (London, 2005). Her photographs are held in various collections including The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York, NY), Mint Museum (Charlotte, NC), Victoria and Albert Museum (London, England), The National Portrait Gallery (London, England), The Rubell Family Collection (Miami, FL) and Pier 24 Photography (San Francisco, CA).
 

Click here to see the entire exhibition

 

Image: Bettina von Zwehl, Meditations in an Emergency #13.