Marta Astfalck–Vietz: Staging the Self

Experimenting with light and shadow, multiple exposures, surrealist imagery, and roleplay – this is the artistic terrain of Marta Astfalck-Vietz (1901–1994). Her spellbinding photography from the 1920s stages bodies, interweaves pictorial planes, and exhibits dreamlike realities created through her own unique methods.

In her self-portraits, Astfalck-Vietz presents us with fantastical illusions by way of technical innovation. She designed and tailored her own costumes, slipping into different characters, be it a common drinker or a society lady, naked or wrapped in lace. Through roleplay she eludes the (male) gaze by consciously staging her own body. Inspired by a wide range of illustrated magazines, silent film classics from the 1920s, and her fascination with nature, she created an impressive body of work, which can now be discovered in its full range, extending even to watercolours with plant motifs.

About the Author

Thomas Köhler has been director of the Berlinische Galerie since 2010.

Katia Reich has been head of the photography collection at the Berlinische Galerie since 2020.