Sophia Kesting is a visual artist, photographer, researcher and lecturer born in 1983 in the former GDR in Leipzig and lives and works in Leipzig and Brussels. Since 2025 she is a PhD in practice candidate at the KU Leuven / LUCA school of Arts in Brussels, Belgium. Sophia Kesting's working method is based on a feminist-intersectional perspective and consists of artistic, research, textual, collective and political practice.
Sophia Kesting studied visual communication in Berlin and later visual arts and photography at the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig with a scholarship from the Cusanuswerk. She graduated with a diploma in 2016 in the class for photography and media and in 2018 with a post degree with Prof. Joachim Brohm. Since 2018 Sophia Kesting was assistant professor for photography at the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig, until 2021 in collaboration with Prof. Joachim Brohm, and from 2021-2023 with Prof. Dr. Ines Schaber. Since 2021 she has been a member of the network "uU/learning art and design education e.V."
Sophia Kesting works from the photographic image to the edges of the medium of photography, integrating text, sound, archive material and lecture into her artistic research, photographic-media spatial installations and long-term photographic projects. She specialises in East German Studies / Feminist Studies and Political Ecology / Sustainability in Art.
VITA
Since 2025 PhD in practice in the arts | KU Leuven, LUCA – school of Arts, Brüssel, Belgien
2018 – 2023 Assistant professor for photography, Academy of Fine Arts, Leipzig
2018 Post Graduate Degree in Fine Arts Photography, Prof. Joachim Brohm, Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig
2017 Guest student with Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin, HfbK, Hamburg
2016 Diploma in Fine Arts Photography, Class for Photography and Media, Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig
2011 Birth of a child
2010 Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication, University of Applied Sciences (HTW), Berlin
2009 Founding Kunstraum Boulevard Parabol, Kottbusser Tor, Berlin
2006 – 2009 Assistant of photographer Uwe Walter, Berlin
2003 – 2006 Studies of Educational Sciences, French Studies, Hispanic Studies
University of Leipzig Sorbonne, Paris
TEACHING / LECTURES / WORSHOPS
2025The Revolution 1989 – Gestures of Protest in Practice | Performative Reading, LUCA – school of Arts, Brussels
2025 Asphalt, Steine, Scherben, Sophia Kesting & Dana Lorenz | Reading and talk with Christin Müller, Vexer Verlag Berlin office, as part of the European Month of Photography (EMOP), Berlin
2024 Asphalt, Steine, Scherben, Sophia Kesting & Dana Lorenz | Book launch, reading and talk with Christin Müller, MZIN, Museum der bildenden Künste (MdbK), Leipzig
2024 Asphalt, Steine, Scherben, Sophia Kesting & Dana Lorenz | Book launch, Vexer Verlag Büro Berlin
2024 Sustainability in the arts, summer academy (management + organisation), artist residency Libken, Böckenberg, Brandenburg
2024 Jury participation, final exams of the Master Photography students, LUCA - school of Arts, Brussels
2018 – 2023 assistant professor for photography, Academy of Fine Arts, Leipzig
2019 Lecture Architecture and Photography | HTWK - University of Applied Sciences for Technology, Economics and Culture, Leipzig
2019 STICK TOGETHER | workshop management, exhibition organisation | AtA - Academy for Transcultural Exchange, Academy of Fine Arts, Leipzig
2017 – 2018 Artistic strategies in the digital and post-digital phase - What significance is attributed to analogue photography in contemporary photography? | Seminar (evening school), Academy of Fine Arts, Leipzig
2017 Thinking with the eye - the visualisation of inner, visual worlds | Seminar (evening school), Academy of Fine Arts, Leipzig
2017 Learning from Athens ? | Symposium, art student council conference of the Cusanuswerk, Kassel
SOLO / DUO EXHIBITIONS
2025 – Asphalt, Steine, Scherben 2012 - 2024 (with Dana Lorenz) | Vexer Verlag
European Month of Photography (EMOP), Berlin
2022/23 – Rewriting the Photographic Image | FOTOHOF studio | Salzburg, Austria
2021 – Asphalt, Steine, Scherben 2012 - 2021 (with Dana Lorenz) | Galerie ODP, Leipzig
f/stop 9. festival for photography, Leipzig
2019 – Trakt IV (with Dana Lorenz) | Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst, Leipzig
2018 – KORRELAT | Kunstraum Ortloff, Leipzig
– Asphalt, Steine, Scherben (with Dana Lorenz) | Galerie 3 Ringe
f/stop, 8. festival for photograohy, Leipzig
2017 – Retreat (with Jana Schulz) | Kunstraum Loriza, Berlin | 48h Neukölln, Berlin
2016 – DER PLATZ | Halle C01, Tapetenwerk, Leipzig
2015 – Status Quo – Fotografien von Sophia Kesting & Dana Lorenz
Stadtgeschichtliches Museum, Leipzig
2013 COLOR SLIDES & RIVER TIDES (with Benedikt Leonhardt) | KingSize, Leipzig
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)
2024 – Exhibition – Billboard | cotton mill, Leipzig
– Liste | Porte, Leipzig
– Spaces | Exhibition hall, cotton mill, Leipzig
– Almresidency # 8 | Lothringer 13 Halle, München
2023 – WIN/WIN – Art acquisitions of the Free State of Saxony| Hall 14, Centre for Contemporary Art, Leipzig
– TRAFO | Leipzig annual exhibition, Exhibition hall, cotton mill, Leipzig
2022 – DON’T KNOW WHY– 15 years of Kunstraum Ortloff | Kunstraum Ortloff, Leipzig
– Auf ! Los ! – Tombola | Kunstverein, Leipzig
– A 5 | Anfang Süd Ende Mai, Leipzig
2021 – Dosis I + Dosis II | Institut für Zukunft, Leipzig
– Come Closer | Hall 14 basement, cotton mill, Leipzig (Curatorial work)
– Chrysantheme | Studio H18 cotton mill, Leipzig
– (re:) collect / (re:) connect | Kunstraum IDEAL | Kunstraum Ortloff, Leipzig (Curatorial work)
2020 – Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz | Intervention, city office, Leipzig
– 17.7. – Künstler*innen der Galerie | ODP Galerie, Leipzig
2019 – PREVIOUS | Galerie Drei Ringe, Leipzig
– I Engineer – selection exhibition of the Georg Meistermann Stipendium |
WERKSCHAU – Hall 12, cotton mill Leipzig
– Modernity. Iconography. Photography | Art Museum Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen, Magdeburg
2018 – RIGHT THERE, RIGHT THEN | Fotoforum, Innsbruck
– Picturing Realities: Constructed, Cropped and Reassembled | Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Düsseldorf
2017 – Il deserto rosso now | The Photographic Collection SK Stiftung Kultur, Köln
– SUPERVISION | Lange Straße 31, Frankfurt am Main
2016 – Red Desert Now! | Linea de Confine | Ospitale di Rubiera, Reggio Emilia, Italy
– THE AUTHORITIES ARE BADLY INFORMED | Galerie 3 Ringe | f/stop 7. festival for photography Leipzig
2015 – Mythische Käse und wirkliche Käse | Zollamt Galerie, Offenbach
2014 – There is no Colour but some Ideas how Things might be (Asphalt, Steine, Scherben) | Kunstraum Ortloff| f/stop, 6. festival for photography Leipzig
2013 – Orte, die man kennen sollte I+II | Galerie der HGB, Kunstverein, Leipzig
2011 – 2. ZINE AND INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS FAIR | Kunsthalle Wien
– I’VE ZINE THE DARKNESS | Galerie dieschönestadt, Halle
– 20. selection exhibition of the Cusanuswerks | Hochschulgalerie, Halle
2010 – Der Blick von hier | Kunstraum Boulevard Parabol, Berlin
– Offen, Tapetenwerk, Leipzig
GRANTS | COLLECTIONS | SCHOOLARSHIPS | RESIDENCIES
2025 – Artist Residency | Künstlerhaus Lukas | Ahrenshoop, Baltic Sea
2024 – Work grant | Stiftung Kunstfonds | Bonn
2023 – German Photo Book Award 2023/24 | Bronze in the category Artistic Photo Book | "Rewriting the Photographic Image"
– Artist Residency | Almresidency | Munich Alpine foothills
– Kunstfonds, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden | Funded by the Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Saxony, 2023
– Project funding| KdFS | Sachsen + Catalogue funding | Cultural office | Leipzig: "Asphalt, Steine, Scherben", Publication
2022 – Nomination for: Cité internationale des Arts Paris, France
– Residency fellowship | FOTOHOF archiv | Salzburg, Austria
2021 – Open development programme| Stiftung Kulturwerk der VG Bild-Kunst | Neustart Kultur | Bonn
– Project funding for „Asphalt, Steine, Scherben“ | Cultural office, Leipzig
2019 – Project- + catalogue funding for “trakt IV” | Cultural office, Leipzig + Karin & Uwe Hollweg- foundation | Germany
2018 – Purchase into the collection of the Fotoforum | Innsbruck, Austria
2012 – 2018 – Study schoolarship | Cusanuswerk | Bonn
2013 – Purchase into the collection of Kunsthalle der Sparkasse, Leipzig
PUBLICATIONS | CATALOGUES
2024 – Asphalt, Steine, Scherben, Sophia Kesting & Dana Lorenz | Vexer Verlag | Berlin, St. Gallen
– Past, present, future | frohfroh 15 | Leipzig
2022 – Rewriting the Photographic Image, Sophia Kesting | FOTOHOF edition| Salzburg, Austria
– DOSIS III | Spector Books, Leipzig
2021 – Bildproduktion im Mansfelder Land | Werkleitz magazine | Halle
2020 – In Transit | Academy of Fine Arts, Leipzig
2019 – Exhibition catalogue: Modern Iconography. Photography, Bauhaus and the Consequences 1919 – 2019 | E. A. Seemann Verlag, Leipzig
– STICK TOGETHER | Akademy for transcultural exchance | Academy of Fine Arts, Leipzig
2018 – KORRELAT , Vinyl 12" + fanfold, self-published
– RIGHT THERE! | FOTOHOF edition | Salzburg, Austria
– Picturing Realities: Constructed, Cropped and Reassembled Verlag Beck & Eggeling, Dusseldorf
2017 – The streets, the factories, the colors, the sky, the people | FOTOHOF edition | Salzburg, Austria
2016 – The Whirring of the Image Machine by Thomas Taube | Spector Books, Leipzig
2015 – Status Quo | City History Museum, Leipzig
2013 – Orte, die man kennen sollte | Documentation + Exhibition catalogue | Academy of Fine Arts, Leipzig