Some Gems from the Exhibition: “Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures” at UN Berlin

Some Gems from the Exhibition: “Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures” at UN Berlin

February 5, 2022

More than a hundred thousand or so visitors have come to our exhibition at Urban Nation in Berlin which takes over the entire museum. 350 photos, a few thousand more digitally, black books, drawings, ephemera, cameras, film slides, toys, miniatures, a mural, a complete timeline from 1943 to today, 70 original artworks, a 16 screen film collage by director Selina Miles… this is an endless collection of Martha’s personal and professional work and collections for all visitors to see.

Martha called out to sticker artists from around the world to send their work in for this sticker board. Within weeks it was completely covered and envelopes continued to arrive for many months from seemingly every city. Here’s Ms. Cooper and co-curator Jaime Rojo looking at the collection. Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin. (photo © Nika Kramer)

The traffic is beginning to increase now that the end of this unprecedented life-spanning exhibition is nearing its end in May of this year, and we want to show you a few of the hidden gems just in case you have a free afternoon to visit the museum. It has been our honor and privilege to share this exhibition, to work so closely with the photographer herself, and to mount the first exhibition at Urban Nation that features the career of one artist – and thousands of artists.

An entire collection of black books filled with original artworks are on display including many artists formative to the graffiti and street art scene. Here’s a page with original Keith Haring drawings. Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin. (photo © Nika Kramer)
Lady Aiko mural on the facade of the museum. Detail. Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Martha Cooper. Dondi at the Graffiti section. Detail. Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
The ephemera on display in the various vitrines around the exhibition contain real jewels like this – an original sketch that Martha and Henry Chalfant had under consideration for the front and back cover of “Subway Art” their seminal book. Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin. (photo © Nika Kramer)
Seth Mural. Street Play and Martha Remix sections. Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin. (photo © Nika Kramer)
Martha Cooper. Shepard Fairey at the Martha Remixed section. Detail. Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Visitors get to see ephemera from the last five decades by a person who is a self-described collector of many things. Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin. (photo © Nika Kramer)
The “Artists at Work” section has hundreds of photos of graffiti writers and street artists from the last five decades – continued into a searchable digital database on an iPad mounted nearby. As if punctuation to the collection is a sculpture by Vhils in the garden outside.Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin. (photo © Nika Kramer)
Martha Cooper. Artists at Work section. Detail. Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Martha Cooper. Artists at Work section. Detail. Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Few photographers can say they have captured behind the scenes images of 1Up taking a break – but Martha Cooper can say that about hundreds of graffiti writers and street artists. Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin. (photo © Nika Kramer)
A collector of many things in addition to photographs, one section of the exhibition is dedicated to Martha’s collection of stickers, slaps, and even index cards filled with tags of many eras. Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin. (photo © Nika Kramer)
Many people – from artists to curators to authors to photographers – contributed quotes for Martha in the catalog for the exhibition – and we printed 40 or so of them on multiple pages. Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin.

Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures / Urban Nation Museum Berlin is currently on view at Urban Nation Museum Berlin until May 2022. Click HERE for schedules and details.

Participating artists:

Cey Adams, AFRO, Andres Art, Blanco, Mark Bodé, Bordalo II, Buster, C215, Carja, Victor Castillo, Cosbe, Daze, Jane Dickson, Owen Dippie, Ben Eine, Shepard Fairey, Freedom, Fumakaka, Futura, Grotesk, Logan Hicks, HuskMitNavn, Japao, James Jessop & Dscreet, Nicolas Lacombe, Justen Ladda, Lady Aiko, Lady Pink, The London Police, Mantra, John „Crash“ Matos, Nazza, Nunca, Okuda, Os Gêmeos, Alice Pasquini, Phlegm, Pixel Pancho, Dr. Revolt, Seth Globepainter, Skeme, Skewville, Skolas, Chris Stain, Tats Cru (Bio, BG183 and Nicer), Vhils, Ernest Zacharevic.

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