Reading Images

Join Ethiopian-born, Berlin-based photographer Yero Adugna Eticha for a workshop in celebration of the opening of his first Houston exhibition Poetics of Relation: BLACK IN BERLIN. 

Workshop Information

Why does one photograph move us, while another leaves us indifferent? Who becomes visible in images, and who remains unseen?

In this workshop, participants will learn how to “read” press photographs, advertisements, and social media images more closely. In part two of this workshop (spring 2027, date tbd), participants are invited to bring their own images for group discussion. Together, we will practice careful observation, analysis, and contextualization, while reflecting on questions of power, visibility, and the ethical handling of sensitive subjects.

The workshop is open to photographers, artists, students, and interested adults, with or without prior experience. It is  based on valuable experiences from Yero's previous workshops at universities and schools in Ethiopia and Germany.

Guiding Questions

• What do I actually see in the photograph, and what do I add through my own experiences, prior knowledge, and emotions?
• How do framing, perspective, light, color, the body, and symbolism create meaning?
• Who is visible, who decides that visibility, and who remains invisible?
• What is the photographer or artist trying to communicate?
• How do media images (press, advertising, and social media) frame events, groups, and conflicts?
• How can I critically evaluate images while also discussing sensitive subjects with respect and care?

Enter the gallery on Sawyer St. near the railroad intersection at Winter St. (by ART sculpture). Complimentary self-parking will be avaliable. 

The exhibition Poetics of Relation: BLACK IN BERLIN will be on on view at Bay 100 gallery at the Silos at Sawyer Yards from Nov. 14, 2026 - March 13, 2027. Regular opening hours are Mon-Sat, 9 am - 5 pm.

About BLACK IN BERLIN

It began with a deceptively simple idea: to render Black life visible in Germany. The initially local project has since grown far beyond the German capital: Black in Berlin was followed by Black in Thüringen, Black in THE LÄND (Baden-Württemberg), and Black in Dortmund, before the archive was recently expanded to include European perspectives with Black in Suomi (Finland). Now, the Ethiopian-born, Berlin-based photographer and artist Yero Adugna Eticha brings a portion of this ongoing large-scale project—which now encompasses 1,200 black-and-white portraits, text installations, and audio interviews—to Houston, Texas. Presented by the Goethe-Institut, the exhibition offers US audiences a vibrant and nuanced counter-archive to the visual representation of the African diaspora in Germany and Europe.