Ines De Nil is a photographer and filmmaker who portrayed Berlin's queer autonomous scene in the late 1980s and 1990s. The majority of her photographs have never been shown publicly. Her works operate at the interface between documentary testimony and artistic photography. They open up insights into spaces of intimacy, subversion and self-expression that were and are of central importance for the development of a visible queer culture.

Many of these spaces and people are barely documented today, either for reasons of self-protection or because the events of the time were considered too remote or niche. The relevance of De Nil's work is demonstrated not least by the fact that her images offer direct and undisguised depictions of queer life. None of the people portrayed appear disguised or alienated; rather, they show themselves in their own authenticity and beauty.

This was a central concern of the artist:

"I always wanted to show people as they wanted to show themselves."

The 78-year-old Ines De Nil has lived in Dresden since 2024.

The artist

Ines De Nil (*1947) initially completed an apprenticeship as a graphic draughtswoman in Essen and studied photography and graphic design at the Folkwangschule in the late 1960s. After her training, her relationship with an actor took her to West Berlin, where she met Volker Pleines and moved in with him. Together they made their way into the emerging queer scene: Volker became Elvira Westwärts and Ines began her free photographic work. Both ended up at SO36 in the early 90s, where they organised and documented their own series of events such as "Hungrige Herzen" (Hungry Hearts). SO36 became more and more queer. During this period from 1989 to 1997, several thousand photos were taken. 

At the end of the 90s, many of the paths taken went astray and Ines turned more to painting and filmmaking. Ines worked as a freelancer in Berlin until 2024, but had to leave Berlin due to illness and the desolate housing situation and has lived in Dresden ever since.

The reappraisal | Artistic Research

The photographic estate is still in Berlin, where the filmmaker and art historian Vinzenz Damm is working on a catalogue with Ines de Nil's consent in order to make the collection accessible. Vinzenz Damm (*1996) studied Art Studies at the Burg Giebichenstein in Halle, before that Scenic Arts in Hildesheim and was involved in the project Tuntenhaus Forellenhof 1990 at SMU Berlin in 2022 as a curatorial assistant. Since 2020 he has been freelance artistically in the fields of experimental film and performing arts; works and researches at the interface of film, text, archive on the queer subculture of the 80s and 90s in Berlin and on the animal-human relationship. He has developed essay films relating to themes of gender identity, sexual orientation and practices of self-empowerment.

Opening: Fri, 27.3.26 7 pm (meanwhile in the Galerie Gebr. Lehmann door to door: Eberhard Havekost, beginning: 6 pm)
Exhibition duration: 28.3. to 2.5.26 | Thu 16-19 Fri 16-19 Sat 12-16