About

Julia Runge, born in 1990 in Berlin, is an esteemed photographer with over a decade of experience working in southern Africa. She completed her photography studies in 2015 at the Ostkreuz School of Photography in Berlin, where she gained recognition for her remarkable project „Basterland.“ This project later evolved into a compelling documentary film produced in collaboration with arte/ZDF in 2022, with Julia Runge playing a pivotal role. Her work primarily focuses on portraiture, delving into profound questions about social dynamics and societal structures. Julia Runge’s photographic oeuvre centers on social engagement, cultural themes, and the exploration of Africa. With her natural and evocative visual language, she offers viewers an artistic glimpse into these subjects. Her exceptional work has garnered multiple accolades and has been featured in prominent publications both nationally and internationally. Furthermore, her photographs have been exhibited in various countries, including France, Uganda, Nigeria, China, the United States, and Switzerland.


EXHIBITIONS & ARTISTIC INVOLVEMENT

2023     Founding REFRAME KOLLEKTIV e.V. (Founder and current chairwoman of the association)

2023     Curator of the group exhibition „Home of Mine„, Fotogalerie Friedrichshain, Berlin

2023     Direction of the photography workshop „Reframe-Immersion“, Berlin

2023     Photos and collaboration for arte/ZDF on the documentary film „Namibia – The Rough World of the Basters“, NAM/DE

2022     Direction of the photography workshop „Reframe“ , NAM

2022     Guest lecturer at Collage of the Arts Windhoek, NAM

2022     Shebeen Queens at Café Prestige, Windhoek, NAM

2021      Shebeen Queens at die Muschel, Swakopmund, NAM

2021      Award Winning African Photography – photo basel Takes a Closer Look

2020      Shebeen Queens at Trieste Photo Days -> exhibition at the “Sartorio” Museum Trieste, ITA

2020      Shebeen Queens at Château de LaLande seeingWOMAN Award 2020, FRA

2020      Shebeen Queens at Ilham Gallery (KLPA 2020 Award exhibition), Kuala Lumpur

2020      Shebeen Queens at Fotogalerie Friedrichshain, Berlin, DE

2020      Shebeen Queens at International Portrait/Fashion Exhibition in Orlando, FL

2020      Solo Exhibition „Shebeen Queens“ at  R. – Raum für drastische Maßnahmen, Berlin, DE

2019       Solo Exhibition „Basterland“ at Fotogalerie Friedrichshain, Berlin, DE

2018       Basterland at Lyonel-Feininger-Galerie , Quedlinburg, DE

2017       Solo Exhibition at Jammin Galerie, Berlin, DE

2016       Basterland at Photokina, Köln, DE

2016       Basterland at Uganda Press Photo Award, Kampala, Uganda

2016       Basterland at LagosPhoto Festival, Lagos, Nigeria

2016       Basterland at Tan Gallery, 798 Art District Beijing, China

2016       Lead a Photography Workshop for Goethe Institut in Beijing, China

2016       Basterland at Heuberg 24 – Raum für Kunst, Basel, CH

2016       Basterland at Image Afrique in BaselCH

2016      Basterland at  the 21th Voies Off Festival, Arles, FRA

2016      Basterland at Photobastei Zürich, Zurich, CH

2016      Basterland at the Panacée – Centre for Contemporary Art, Montpellier, FRA

2016      Basterland & POPCAP ’16 at Nuit des Images,  Lausanne, CH

2016      Hellerau PortraitsBasterland, Dresden Hellerau, DE

2015      OHO Abschlussaustellung OstkreuzschuleBasterland, HO Berlin, DE

2015      Art @ SAP, Growing Hope, SAP Walldorf, DE

2014      Entrepreneur 4.0 AwardGrowing Hope, Igersheim, DE

AWARDS:

2023      Project funding by Governing Mayor of Berlin – Senate Chancellery, Projekt „Reframe – Immersion“

2022      Project funding by Governing Mayor of Berlin – Senate Chancellery, Reframe Photography Workshop

2021      INITIAL Special Grant by the Akademie der Künste

2021      Project funding by Stiftung Kulturwerk der VG Bild-Kunst & Deutsch-Namibische Gesellschaft e.v. , What the Storm Has Left

2021      Digital Residency with pacificoritualyresistencia, Columbia/Berlin

2020      Bronze Medal German Photo Book Award (Category: Documentary-Journalistic Photo Book), Shebeen Queens

2020      Honorable Mention (Category People) Neutral Density Photography Award 2021, Shebeen Queens

2020      Honorable Mention (Category Analog / Film : Portrait) IPA 2020, Shebeen Queens

2020      Winning Project of the „Sartorio“ Museum Trieste prize-exhibition, Shebeen Queens

2020      Finalist Urban Photo Awards 2020, Shebeen Queens

2020      Projekt Grant Finalist Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards 2020 (Portrait Prize) , Shebeen Queens

2020      Honorable Mention (Category Equality – Egalité) seeingWOMAN Award 2020 (Photos de Femmes), Shebeen Queens

2020      Honorable Mention (Category Portrait Series) Annual Photography Awards 2019, Shebeen Queens

2019      Scholarship Robert Bosch Foundation / Literarisches Colloquium Berlin, Shebeen Queens

2016      Prizewinner  Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2016, Category D, Basterland

2016      Winner POPCAP ’16, the piclet.org Prize for Contemporary African Photography, Basterland

2016      4th Place PhotoVisions Förderpreis, Basterland

2015      Nominee Category Photojournalism – Fine Art Photography Award, Basterland

2014      Winner Audience Prize Entrepreneur 4.0 Photography Award 2014, Growing Hope

2014      2nd Place Entrepreneur 4.0 Photography Award – Category „Young Talents“, Growing Hope

APPEARANCES:

The Namibian

Aljazeera

arte.tv

Der Spiegel

Frankfurter Rundschau

Neues Deutschland – nd der Tag

Deine Korrespondentin

Kwerfeldein about „Shebeen Queens“

Süd Afrika Magazin

Interview for Kwerfeldein

Interview for Africa in the Photobook

GUP Magazine 

DOC! Photo Magazine

SZ-Magazin

DIE ZEIT

MDR Kultur

Atlas of Humanity

Chaeg Magazine (South Korea)

Fotofeinkost

25books

FluxFM-Radiostation

Feature on Lens Culture

WOZ (Schweiz)

KK News China

ZITTY Berlin

Welt der Frauen (Österreich)

Stern Magazin

Der Spiegel

Neues Deutschland – Tageszeitung

Namibia Magazine

Lust auf Gut (Republic of Culture) Magazin

Fotopraxis mit Perspektive, Fotofeinkost Verlag, 2014

„Nachdruck“ Magazin

PHOTOGRAPHIE Magazine

Chaeg South Korean Magazine

Pagina 99 Italien