Jan von Holleben

Jan von Holleben (born 1977) is a German photographer.

Life and work Born in 1977 and brought up in the southern German countryside, he lived most of his youth in an alternative commune near Freiburg and identifies a strong connection between the development of his photographic work and the influence of his parents, a cinematographer and child therapist. At the age of 13, he followed his father's photographic career picking up a camera and experimenting with all sorts of "magical tricks", developing his photographic imagination and skills with friends and family and later honing his technique in commercial settings.

After pursuing studies in teaching children with disabilities at the Pädagogische Hochschule in Freiburg, he moved to London, earned a degree in the Theory and History of Photography at Surrey Institute of Art and Design, and became submerged within the London photographic scene, where he worked as picture editor, art director and photographic director. He quickly set up two photographic collectives, Young Photographers United and photodebut, followed more recently by The Photographer's Office. His body of photographic work focusing on the ‘homo ludens’ – the man who learns through play, is itself built from a playful integration of pedagogical theory with his own personal experiences of play and memories of childhood.

Jan von Holleben's work has been exhibited internationally and published widely throughout the world.

His work has been published amongst others in Die Zeit, Spiegel Wissen, Dein Spiegel, Chrismon, Neon, Creative Review, Dazed& Confused, Diva, Day 4, Dummy, Emotion, Geo, Geolino, Zeit Magazin, Zeit Campus, Adbusters, Art Review, Bant, Brigitte, Dumbo Feather, DPI, IDN, Irish Times, Label, Liberation, Max, Next Level, Ojodepez, Photo Review, Photography, Repubblica, Rojo, Style 100, The Face, The Sunday Review, Sleazenation, SZ-Magazin, Vice, Vogue Girl and many more.

Education

1997 Baccalaureate Diploma (A-Levels) – Martin-Schongauer-Gymnasium_Breisach, Breisach 1997–2000 Photographic Apprentice – Prisma Productions, Freiburg 1999–2000 Studies in Teaching Children with Disabilities – Pädagogische Hochschule, Freiburg 2000–2002 BA (Hons) Photography (Theory and History) – SIAD University, Farnham

Book publications 11-21, The Photographer's Office, London, 2007. Dreams of Flying, The Photographer's Office, London, 2007. Träume vom Fliegen, Hoffmann & Campe, Hamburg, 2008. The Snowbed, The Photographer's Office, London, 2008. Dreams of Flying vol.2, The Photographer's Office, London, 2009. Mutatis Mutandis, The Photographer's Office, London, 2010. HO HO HO, The Photographer's Office, Berlin, 2011. Kriegen das eigentlich alle? Gabriel Verlag im Thienemann Verlag, Stuttgart, 2013. Konrad Wimmel ist da! Gabriel Verlag im Thienemann-Esslinger Verlag, Stuttgart, 2014. Kinderlieder aus Deutschland und Europa, Carus Verlag & Gabriel Verlag im Thienemann-Esslinger Verlag, Stuttgart, 2014. Does that happen to everyone? Gestalten Verlag, Berlin, 2014. DENKSTE?! Gabriel Verlag im Thienemann Verlag, Stuttgart, 2014. mit Jane Baer-Krause: Wie heißt dein Gott eigentlich mit Nachnamen? Gabriel Verlag im Thienemann-Esslinger Verlag, Stuttgart, 2015. That’s what you think! Gestalten Verlag, Berlin, 2015. WWWas? Gabriel Verlag im Thienemann-Esslinger Verlag, Stuttgart, 2016. ABC Photography, Tarzipan Verlag, Berlin, 2016. Und was wird jetzt mit mir? Gabriel Verlag im Thienemann-Esslinger Verlag, Stuttgart, 2016. KOSMOS, Little Steidl Verlag, Göttingen, 2017. Wenn ich KanzlerIn von Deutschland wär, Gabriel Verlag im Thienemann-Esslinger Verlag, Stuttgart, 2017. Monsterhelden, Beltz Verlag, Weinheim, 2017. Meine Wilde Wut, Beltz Verlag, Weinheim, 2018. Mach mit! Carlsen Verlag, Hamburg, 2018. ALLES IMMER - das Bilderbuch, Beltz Verlag, Weinheim, 2019. ISBN 978-3-407-75453-0 ALWAYS EVERYTHING - the picture book, Tarzipan books, 2019. ISBN 978-0955447082 Wie geht Politik? Gabriel Verlag im Thienemann-Esslinger Verlag, Stuttgart, 2021. ISBN 978-3522305921

Awards

2014: Wissenschaftsbuch des Jahres / Wien 2010: Lens Culture Award – Honorable Mention / San Francisco 2009: Aesthetica Award – Runner up / London 2009: Unicum Award – Best Ad / Bochum 2009: Lead Award – Auszeichnung / Hamburg 2008: Backlight Artist’s Residency, Finland 2008: Bronze – Idn + graniph Universe Award / Tokyo 2008: Nomination – Joop Swart Master Class, Amsterdam 2007: Photography Masters Cup/ London-Beverly Hills 2007: PHE07 Best Photography Books of 2007 for ‘Dreams of Flying’/ Madrid 2007: Gold – PX3 Photography Award / Paris 2007: Gold – Best CP Award / Munich 2007: Finalist – Cedefop Award / Thessaloniki 2007: Gold – Art for Aid Award / Amsterdam 2006: International Photography Award / Los Angeles 2006: Young Portfolio Award / Kiyosato 2006: Free Range Photographic Ambassador / London 2006: Magenta Award / Toronto 2006: Honours – Hyeres Festivale de la Photographie / Hyeres 2006: Gold – Lead Award / Hamburg 2006: Festimage / Chaves 2006: Photoreview Award / Langhorne 2004: London Photographic Award / London 2004: The Observer Hodge Photographic Award / London 2004: International Photography Award / Los Angeles 1998: FotoSalon Preis / Kirchzarten

Permanent installations

V&A Museum of Childhood, London, UK, 2006 John Radcliffe Children Hospital, Oxford, UK, 2014 Charité Children Cancer Ward, Berlin, Germany, 2015 Demelza, children hospice, Kent, UK, 2016 AIDA Perla, International, 2018 SOS Children's Village International Embassy, Berlin, Germany, 2018 Charité Palliativ Care Unit, Berlin, Germany, 2019 Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, USA, 2021

Exhibitions (selection) 2020 Always Everything, V&A Museum of Childhood, London 2019 Alles Immer, Freiburg/ Reutlingen/ Langenau/ Bad Saulgau/ Bodelshausen/ Walddorfhäslach/ Rottenburg am Neckar, Germany 2016 Homo Ludens, in der Tulla, Mannheim 2015 Magic Bodø, Parkart Festival, Bodø 2014 The Amazing Analogue, The Brighton Photo Biennial, Hove Museum, Brighton 2012: Lily & Jonathan, John Radcliffe Children Hospital, Oxford 2010 Best of 000-010, Gesto, Porto 2010: Nur gespielt, Städtische Galerie Friedrichsbau, Bühl 2009: Mutatis Mutandis, Farmani Gallery, New York 2009: Liebesorte, C/O Berlin 2008: It'll happen here, Marcia Wood Gallery, Atlanta 2007: Wir werden immer größer, Peter Hay Helpert Fine Art, New York 2007: Dreams of Flying, V&A Museum of Childhood, London 2006: Dreams of Flying, Peter Hay Helpert Fine Art, New York (K) 2005: Dreams of Flying, Nogoodwindow, Paris 2001: The Apricot, Kunstverein Kirchzarten, Kirchzarten

Images