>> ABOUT
Helena Lea Manhartsberger was born in Innsbruck in 1987. As an international working freelance photographer and multimedia journalist she is based in Vienna.
Before studying photojournalism and documentary photography in Hanover and Aarhus, she graduated in Development Studies at the University of Vienna and studied photography in Yogyakarta. She critically examines stereotypical forms of representation in visual media and focuses on collaborative methods in photography. In her work, she deals primarily with social issues such as sexuality and identity, migration, armed conflicts and social movements. It is her intensive encounters with people from the most diverse backgrounds that motivate her to reflect on social contexts and make them visible.
Helena has been working for the ipsum association since 2011, where she works in the areas of method development, project management and workshop facilitation. What all ipsum projects have in common is a focus on self-expression, change of perspective and dialogue, through and via photography and other media.
She is also part of Selbstlaut Kollektiv and Woman Photograph and is represented by laif – Agentur für Photos und Reportagen GmbH.
Selected Clients
APA, BBC, British Journal of Photography, European Photography, Financial Times, DER SPIEGEL, DIE ZEIT, Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, Spiegel Wissen, Stern Crime, GEOlino, DUMMY, Der Freitag, FAZ, taz, Der Standard, Republik, ORF, Profil, Kurier, WOZ, Wiener Zeitung, t3n Magazin, Das Biber Magazin, Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur Niedersachsen, Sprengel Museum Hanover, Lebenshilfe, campact, Amnesty Journal, …
Selected Exhibitions and Awards
2024
in-between states, single exhibition at Journalism Fest Innsbruck, Austria
Beyond borders, wander exhibition, La Nomad house in Berlin, Partinico, Thessaloniki, Sousse and Paris
2023
Bilder vom Krieg – Ukraine
lecture, laif Genossenschaft, Cologne
Kandaka – Women of the Sudanese Revolution
Sudan Solidarity Festival for Freedom, Peace and Justice, Berlin
sex work – lock down
Hamburg Portfolio Review, group exhibition, Platz der Republik, Hamburg
EAT SLEEP SCHOOL FIGHT
FIRST PAGES – Photobook exhibition, Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum, Köln
Gabriel Grüner Stipendium 2023
BJP Portrait of Humanity, Shortlist
Felix Schöller Award, German Peace Price, Shortlist
2022
Wo man die Stille hören kann / Where you can hear the silence, with Laila Sieber
Fragments Of War, Willy-Brandt Haus Berlin, exhibition
Identity – Courage – Love, Perpignan, France
Hellerau Portraits Award 2022, Opening-Screening
sex work – lock down
Artisttalk, Depot Vienna, 28. September 2022
Kassel Dummy Award 2022, Exhibition Tour
RLB Kunstbrücke Förderpreis 2022, winner
True Picture Award 2022, finalist
VGH Fotopreis 2022, finalist
Kassel Dummy Award 2022, shortlist
Kunstankauf Tiroler Landesarchiv
2021
sex work – lock down
Kassel Dummy Award 2022, Shortlist, Exhibition Tour
sex work – lock down, single exhibition, Reich für die Insel, Innsbruck
VGH Fotopreis 2021, GAF Eisfabrik, Hannover
kunst trotzt gewalt, winner, screening at Fotohof Salzburg / online exhibition, Salzburg
FYC – Fuck You Corona, Wissenschaftspark Gelsenkirchen
Aus der Nähe ist die Ferne gar nicht so weit weg. Bachelor 2021/2 GAF Eisfabrik, Hannover
Corona Rhapsody in cooperation with Rafael Heygster
Are you still HERE, Goethe Exil, Hannover
FYC – Fuck You Corona, Wissenschaftspark Gelsenkirchen
Schein oder Sein, Kulturhaus Mestlin
Fotofestiwal Łódź, Poland
Lockdown Corona, GAF Eisfabrik, Hannover
Corona Rhapsody, Glocksee, Hannover
Portraits Hellerau, Technische Sammlung Dresden
“ultraslut – rather infamous than docile” in cooperation with Katharina Neuhaus
Alvsbyn Film Festival, Alvsbyn, Sweden
Wicked Queer Filmfestival, Boston, USA
Kunsttankstelle Ottakring, “Im Atelier und ganz privat”, in cooperation with Sandra Fockenberger
Palm* Photo Prize 2021, shortlist
Portraits Hellerau, Technische Sammlung Dresden, winner 1. prize
VGH Fotopreis 2021, finalist
Kassel Dummy Award 2022, shortlist
kunst trotzt gewalt, winner
2020
Athens Photo Festival, Benaki Museum, Greece ‘Corona Rhapsody’ in cooperation with Rafael Heygster;
International Photography Symposium, screening, Nida, Latvia, ‘Corona Rhapsody’ in cooperation with Rafael Heygster;
Selected Works: LUMIX Festival für jungen Bildjournalismus, f3-Freiraum für Fotografie in Berlin;
LUMIX Festival for Young Visual Journalism,
Digital Storytelling Award in cooperation with Katharina Neuhaus for “ultraslut – rather infamous than docile”
Picture Series “Kandaka – Women of the Sudanes Revolution”
LUMIX Festival for Young Photojournalism, Live Talks:
Best of Fotobuch Klasse, in conversation with Thekla Ehling, Paul Spehr and Frederic Lezmi about “EAT SLEEP SCHOOL FIGHT”.
Corona Rhapsody, in conversation with Prof. Karen Fromm
Kunststoff Pop Up Showroom II x TANKE, Hannover, group exhibition, video- and photoinstallation “ultraslut – rather infamous than docile” in cooperation with Katharina Neuhaus
LUMIX Festival for Young Visual Journalism, Digital Storytelling Award
Bird in Flight Price ’20, finalist
2018
Triennale of Photography Hamburg, “Gender is a spectrum” group exhibition “Augenzeugen” at the Spiegel House;
Triennale of Photography Hamburg, Screening “G20 – Hamburg in tension”
2017
„G20 in Hamburg – Police-state or city without police?“, group exhibition, Ver.di Hanover.
2015
“TIROLESIA”, photo and documentary film; exhibition in cooperation with streetartist Digie Sigit at Galeri Photo Jurnalistik Antara, Jakarta and in the Galeri ICAN, Yogyakarta, Indonesia and at Fotoforum Innsbruck, Austria;
2014
“Today, unfortunately, not” as part of the group exhibition “Mimieken of humanity”in the event series “Eyes rouge” Artgallery , Vienna. Exhibition and ipsum- project presentation “Global Park 2014” as part of “eyes on” the Austrian Month of Photography, Vienna
2013
“Touch Mahal Tattoo”, Performance; “Pink Punk”, Photography, group exhibition at the Bizarre on Stage #2 Festival, ISI Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Pameran Karya Fotografi: ISI Yogyakarta und ISI Solo, Indonesien, group exhibition; “30 Years Inside Indonesia”, Herb Feith Foundation, Melbourne, Australia
2012
„In the studio and in private“, cooperation with Sandra Fockenberger, Artfestival SOHO in Ottakring 2012, Ragnarhof, Vienna and at the International month of Photography “eyes on” at the MASC Foundation in Vienna.
2011
“constructed site“, wienstation, Photography and Installation; group exhibtion of the collective Lichtungen; „Images of Development and Global Inequalities“, group exhibition, University of Vienna
further projects
Selbstlaut Kollektiv
Fotobus Society
Tage im Juli 2018
Tirolesia 2013 – 2015
ipsum since 2011