Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation shows the exhibition "Open for Business - Magnum photographers on commission". It is on display from October 23, 2020 to January 22, 2021 in The Cube, Eschborn / Frankfurt. The exhibition shows commissioned works from six decades by more than 50 photographers of the legendary agency Magnum Photos, offering insights into fascinating and lesser-known parts of their portfolios.

For more than 70 years Magnum photographers have documented the world’s major events and hidden stories. Simultaneously, many of these same photographers have worked on assignments for fashion brands, governments, NGOs and industries. Although not recognised by a wider public as “Magnum” work, the resulting works play a vital role in the Magnum story. They also embody the complex cultural position of photography, sitting at the intersection of art, documentary and commerce.

“Open for Business” takes a critical look at Magnum’s commissioned work from the 1950s to the latest assignments from 2019 and reveals interactions between commercial and independent production. It highlights the way photographers shaped or changed visual languages of corporations and how they have played with assignments through their own free interpretation, resulting in surprising, ironic and humorous outcomes.

The exhibition has been developed in cooperation with Magnum Photos Paris, Foam Amsterdam and „Les Rencontres de la photographie Arles“. It was curated by Anne-Marie Beckmann, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, and Mirjam Kooiman, Foam Fotografie Museum Amsterdam.

Artists (Selection) 

Antoine d'Agata, Eve Arnold, Olivia Arthur, Jonas Bendiksen, Werner Bischof, Miguel Rio Branco, René Burri, Enri Canaj, Cornell Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Chien-Chi Chang, Bruce Davidson, Bieke Depoorter, Thomas Dworzak, Nikos Economopoulos, Elliott Erwitt, Jean Gaumy, Bruce Gilden, Maya Goded, Burt Glinn, Jim Goldberg, Harry Gruyaert, Erich Hartmann, David Alan Harvey, Richard Kalvar, Carl De Keyzer, Josef Koudelka, Hiroji Kubota, Erich Lessing, Alex Majoli, Constantine Manos, Peter Marlow, Steve McCurry, Lorenzo Meloni, Cristina de Middel, Rafal Milach, Inge Morath, Emin Ozmen, Trent Parke, Martin Parr, Paolo Pellegrin, Gueorgui Pinkhassov, Mark Power, Marc Riboud, Moises Saman, Alessandra Sanguinetti, Lise Sarfati, Ferdinando Scianna, Jérôme Sessini, Alec Soth, Newsha Tavakolian, Alex Webb and Patrick Zachmann.

Further information
A press preview will take place on 5 September 2019, 11:00, in The Cube, Mergenthalerallee 61, 65760 Eschborn. Anne-Marie Beckmann, Director of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, and Marcel Feil, Artistic Director of Foam, will lead you through the exhibition, together with present artists. Please register under leticia.adam@deutsche-boerse.com.

We will be happy to send you press pictures in print quality on request.

Notes to the editors: 
A press preview of “Open for Business – Magnum photographers on commission” will take place on 22 October 2020, 11:00, in The Cube, Mergenthalerallee 61, 65760 Eschborn. Anne-Marie Beckmann, Director of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation and curator of the show, will lead you through the exhibition. Please register via stefanie.luther@deutsche-boerse.com.

We will be happy to send you press pictures in print quality on request.

Information for visitors:

The exhibition can be visited free of charge as part of guided tours. Please book in advance. The dates of public guided tours are available here. Furthermore the exhibition will be open on two “Open Saturdays” (7 November and 5 December 2020) from 11:00 to 16:00. For these days, registration is not required.

Media contact:

Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation

Leticia Adam
Phone +49-(0) 69-2 11- 1 27 66
E-mail leticia.adam@deutsche-boerse.com

Stefanie Luther
Phone +49-(0) 69-2 11- 3 64 30
E-mail stefanie.luther@deutsche-boerse.com

Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation

The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation is a Frankfurt-based non-profit organisation. The foundation activities focus on collecting, exhibiting and promoting contemporary photography. Founded in 1999, the Art Collection Deutsche Börse now comprises more than 2,000 works by over 130 artists from 27 nations.

Together with The Photographers’ Gallery in London, the foundation awards the renowned Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize each year. The Foundation is particularly interested in promoting young artists and supports them in various ways, e.g. through awards, scholarships or their participation in the Foam Talent program. Other focal points include supporting exhibition projects of international museums and institutions, and the expansion of platforms for academic discussion about the medium. Further information is available at www.deutscheboersephotographyfoundation.org.