15.04.2026 – 16.08.2026
Barbara Pflaum was a pioneer: she was one of the few women who, in the 1950s, managed to work as a photojournalist for illustrated magazines. In the two post-war decades, this was a male-dominated profession, whilst in Europe and the United States women were returning to the domestic sphere. This was not the case for Pflaum, however. She came into contact with photography whilst studying at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, a course she began as a 40-year-old divorced woman with three children. Her portraits of heads of state, party leaders and famous artists frequently graced the front page of the weekly magazine. The photographer was proud of these images and exhibited them during her lifetime. Between exhibition openings, conferences and premieres, Barbara Pflaum tirelessly roamed the streets of Vienna, observing its inhabitants. Situational photographs or masterful portraits reveal not only her extraordinary powers of observation, her humour and her phenomenal sense of form, but also a great social sensitivity. The exhibition will focus on precisely these photographs – taken en passant, for her own sake.
BARBARA PFLAUM – A Window into Everyday Life
15.04.2026 – 16.08.2026
Vienna, MAK – Museum für angewandte Kunst
Stubenring 5
1010 Vienna
www.mak.at
