Norbert Moos is a curator, publisher, and founded the Forum für Fotografie (Forum for Photography) in Cologne in 2003. The Forum is a well-established venue for international photography, exhibiting both established and emerging artists. From 2006 to 2012, he organized the Internationale Photoszene and has focused extensively on Asian art and non-European perspectives in photography. Lasse Branding met Norbert Moos at the Forum für Fotografie and spoke with the trained trauma surgeon about his passion for conceptual photography, international photo festivals, and a formative experience in Cambodia.
In a 2017 interview, you said: "In Cologne, no recognizable efforts are being made to keep the city alive as a hub for photography." How would you describe the situation in Cologne today regarding photography?
Today, my judgment would be even more damning. The City of Cologne has withdrawn massively from cultural activities. Compared to the support the independent scene and the Internationale Photoszene used to receive, today it's practically non-existent. This decline already started during my time as director of the Internationale Photoszene (2006–2012). It was nearly impossible to plan a well-organized festival back then.
What made collaboration difficult?
The City of Cologne supported the Internationale Photoszene through various grants. The maximum support during my time was €40,000. The problem was that the city’s financial planning was so poor that the budget for the fiscal year wasn't approved until November — but we wanted to hold the festival in May. That left us just six months for proper planning, which is far too little for a photography festival.
When I compare that to the resources of PhotoEspaña in Madrid (almost €800,000) or the enormous public funding available to Paris Photo, Cologne simply cannot compete.
After the demolition of the Josef Haubrich Art Hall (2002), we received nothing adequate in return from the city, even though it would have been in everyone's best interest. Culture, especially cultural education among young people, strengthens democracy. If we abandon culture, we risk the collapse of democracy.
Let’s go back a bit. How did your interest in photography originally develop?
Well, in terms of personal history, I initially engaged deeply with Japanese art, building a large collection of Japanese woodcuts and other works. Eventually, I felt it was time to move on, as the subjects started to feel repetitive, and I couldn't develop further. That’s when I turned to photography, which was still quite affordable for collectors at the time.
So you started collecting photographs early on?
I started collecting as a student. Collecting has always been a part of my life — and it was wonderful.
Another formative event was your work in Cambodia in 1981/82.
Yes, my professional background is in medicine; I’m actually a trauma surgeon. In Cambodia, I filmed images with a movie camera for the first time. While all the journalists fled the country in panic, I was the only one who stayed. The footage I captured was broadcast worldwide. This experience led me to documentary photography and to an exploration of how photographs transform into an undefined image of reality.
You founded the Forum für Fotografie in Cologne in 2003 — an exhibition space for both emerging and established photographers. How did the Forum come about?
I had my own collection of photographs and a strong desire to actively engage in the discourse of photography. I increasingly missed photographic exhibitions in Cologne. Many institutions were tied to commercial interests, lacking artistic or curatorial freedom.
The Forum’s website mentions that you aim to discover and exhibit current developments in photography that are independent of the art market, with a focus on social and historical sensitivities. Which developments interest you most in today's photographic discourse?
Over time, I became increasingly fascinated with conceptual photography — reflection, varied photographic techniques, and so on.
Right now, we are showing the exhibition "Mind and Memory" featuring Philipp Goldbach and Stephan Reusse. Reusse, for example, uses a thermal camera, capturing not light but temperature — and its fleeting nature. If you sit on a chair and photograph it three minutes later, you can see the heat imprint. It’s a wonderful conceptual image of transience and disappearance.
Have there been any missteps?
Yes, for instance with Christer Strömholm — a Swedish photographer who worked in Paris and whose work I was very familiar with. I thought if I exhibited Strömholm, people would flock to see it. I had a wonderful exhibition with borrowed works — but nobody came. That taught me that I need to do more educational work: you can't just present a big name and expect people to show up. You have to explain and mediate.
How do you balance between showcasing emerging artists and established ones?
I try to show a newcomer at least once a year — that’s very important to me. Stephan Reusse and Philipp Goldbach, for example, aren’t newcomers; they’re more part of the local scene.
But local flavor is important too — next spring, I’ll be showing an exhibition on "Kölner Südstadt" (Cologne’s southern district) with photographs by Chargesheimer.
The Forum for Photography organizes about four exhibitions per year, focusing on artistic and conceptual photography, with the declared goal of promoting contemporary and still relatively unknown artistic positions internationally. How has your network of artists grown?
It grew quite organically. Many photographers approached me, and I had friendships with photographers like René Burri. Plus, the Forum for Photography became increasingly popular. Nowadays, I receive 10 to 20 exhibition applications every month.
In the beginning, Renate Gruber was incredibly helpful in connecting me with contacts. She knew the photography scene inside out. If I needed access to someone, she would find the number and call them up — and it always worked! (laughs)
From 2006–2012, you served on the board of the Internationale Photoszene. Your stated goal was to “embed the Photoszene more into the contemporary discourse and raise its quality” (Foreword to the 2006 Photoszene catalog).
It’s important to understand the context: after the demolition of the Kunsthalle, we had to ask various museums to host exhibitions. For example, the Museum of Applied Arts made space available to us. Many small and medium-sized exhibition spaces throughout Cologne also participated, as they still do today.
On the board, we constantly discussed criteria — should a hair salon showing eight photographs be considered part of the Internationale Photoszene, or should it be limited to larger institutions? We also tried to review exhibition applications beforehand.
The Internationale Photoszene is still a colorful mix — and that should be seen as one of its strengths. I had many conversations with photographers who were thrilled to have the opportunity to show their work.
How does the Internationale Photoszene differ from, say, PhotoEspaña — apart from funding?
PhotoEspaña doesn’t have all the small exhibitions like we do. It lacks that uncontrolled, grassroots element.
How do the Forum für Fotografie and Cologne's cultural scene benefit from the Internationale Photoszene?
I’d say the Photoszene is a big source of motivation, especially for young people entering photography. It rejuvenates Cologne’s cultural scene and creates great networking opportunities between institutions — like the fantastic "Artist Meets Archive" project.