Joachim Brohm. Transformations
Photographic projects since 1979

Joachim Brohm is regarded as a pioneer of documentary-artistic colour photography in Germany. Even whilst studying from 1977 at the Folkwang School in Essen under Otto Steinert and Michael Schmid, he consistently chose to work in colour.

When the first professional colour laboratory at a German university was established in 1979 by Prof. Erich vom Endt at the Folkwang School, Joachim Brohm intensively explored the possibilities of new forms of expression through a documentary-artistic interpretation of colour photography, moving away from the advertising aesthetics prevalent at the time. In doing so, Brohm was particularly strongly influenced by the American ‘New Colour Photography’ and the ‘New Topographics’ movements.

Since 2010, the filmmaker and photography curator Ralph Goertz has been documenting the artist’s work as he moves between Essen, Leipzig and Berlin. The film traces almost all of his photographic projects since 1979 and offers a profound examination of his artistic practice.

documentary: 52min., HD
language: German (with English subtitles)
all works © Joachim Brohm / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026
used by permission of the artist
production: IKS - Institut für Kunstdokumentation