ELENA HELFRECHT

Education

• 2017–2019, Royal College of Art, London, MA Photography (Distinction)
  
• 2016–2017, Humboldt-Universität, Berlin, Art & Image History 
• 2011–2015, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen, BA Art History & Book Science

Solo Exhibitions

• 2020, Plexus, Camera Work, Palazzo Rasponi 2, Ravenna, IT (upcoming)
• 2020, Plexus, Photo Open Up, International Festival of Photography, Padua, IT (upcoming)

• 2014, Rituals, Galerie Morgenrot, Berlin, DE
  

Selected Group Exhibitions

2020

• International Photo Festival Leiden, Leiden, NL (upcoming) 
• False Memory, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, Rugby, UK (6th Aug–14th Nov)
• MassisolationFORMAT, Auckland Festival of Photography, Digital Screening, Auckland, NZ
• Sony World Photography Awards, Sony Imaging Gallery, Ginza, Tokyo, JP
  
• Sony World Photography Awards, Virtual Exhibition
• With Monochrome Eyes, Borough Road Gallery, London, UK
• Paradies, Museum der Verbandsgemeinde Eich, Gimbsheim, DE
  
• Bloomberg New Contemporaries, South London Gallery, London, UK
  

2019

• Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds, UK
  
• New Talents, The Photographic Exploration Project, Tête Space, Berlin, DE
  
• Statement of Being, Deptford Does Art, London, UK
  
• Homeland, Revolv Collective, Take Courage Gallery, London, UK
  
• Homeland, SeeMeOn 29,Sofia Art Week, Sofia, BG
  
• The AOP Student Awards Exhibition, Wex Photo Video, London, UK
  
• RCA Show, Royal College of Art, London, UK
  
• In Repeat, Photoeast Fringe, Frameworkshop & Gallery, Ipswich, UK
  
• Ginnel Foto Fest, Ipswich, UK
  
• Offprint, Tate Modern, Turbine Hall, London, UK
  
• Hot Sheet, Downstairs at The Department Store, London, UK
  
• Alarum, Ardesia Projects, Landesvertretung Baden-Württemberg, Tiergarten, Berlin, DE
  
• Fragmentation, Coningsby Gallery, London, UK
  
• Intro:spective, Revolv Collective, Seen Fifteen Gallery, London, UK
  
• New Femininity, Curated by Girls, Melkweg Expo, Amsterdam, NL
  
• Envisioning Other Worlds, Bow Arts, London, UK
  

2018

• RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London, UK
  
• European Month of Photography: Emerging Artists, BBA Gallery, Berlin, DE
  
• Rapture, Aeon Gallery, Illinois, US
  
• Family of No Man, Cosmos Books, Arles, FR
  
• Photography Project Space, Royal College of Art, London, UK
  
• One Year Revolv, Revolv Collective,  Safe House 1, London, UK
  
• Offprint, Tate Modern, Turbine Hall, London, UK
  
• MIA Photo Fair, with Luisa Catucci Gallery, Milan, IT
  
• Work in Progress Show, Royal College of Art, London, UK
  

2017

• Trash cans for hearts and people have no soul, Fotofestiwal, Łódź, PL
  
• Still Lives: Honouring the Dead, Gallery X, Dublin, IE
  
• La peau de l'ours, Galerie Marie Demange, Brussels, BE
  
• MIA Photo Fair, with Luisa Catucci Gallery, Milan, I
• Fotofever, with Luisa Catucci Gallery, Paris, FR
• Final Girls Film Festival, Moviemento, Berlin, DE

2016

• Ophelia, Cell63 Gallery, Berlin, DE
• All dreams continue in the beyond, Cell63 Gallery, Berlin, DE
• Unlocked, Atopos CVC, Athens, GR
• Cross the Line, KH5 Gallery, Zurich, CH
• Off Course Art Fair, with Cell63 Gallery, Brussels, BE
  

2015

• SHVR, Click! Triangle Photo Festival, North Carolina, US
• There is strong shadow where there is much light, Vanilla Gallery, Tokyo, J
• Cross the Line, La Cave Showroom Gallery, Paris, FR
• Goth: Dissection and Suture, Vanilla Gallery, Tokyo, J
• Triskaidekaphobie, Galerie Morgenrot, Berlin, DE
  

2014

• Reflect: Art is Dead, Cell63 Gallery, Berlin, DE
• Brüche, JUZ, Bamberg, DE
• Docma Award, Museum für Kommunikation, Frankfurt, DE
  

Awards and Grants

2020

• a-n Time Space Money Bursary
  
• Sony World Photography Awards, Professional Still Life, 2nd Place
• Foam Paul Huf Award, Nominee
• Camera Work, PR2, Winner
  
• HSBC Prix pour la Photographie, Finalist
  
• PHMuseum Photography Grant, Finalist
  
• Deutsche Fotografische Akademie, 1. Online Portfolio Walk, Selected 
• The Aftermath Project Grant, Finalist
  

2019

• Le Bal Award for Young Creation, Finalist and Jury Favourite
  
• Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Selected
  
• Travers Smith CSR Art Programme, Selected
  
• Ginnel Foto Award, Winner
  
• The Association of Photographers, Student Awards, Winner
  
• Magenta Flash Forward, Magenta Foundation, Winner
  

2018

• European Photography Prize, Shortlisted
  
• 100 Heroines, Royal Photographic Society, Nominee
  

2017

• London International Creative Competition, Shortlisted
  
• International Photography Awards, Honourable Mention
  
• Fotofever, The Collector's Apartment, Selected
  
• Photography Grant, Nominee
  

2014

• Docma Award, Winner
  
• Fine Art Photography Awards, Winner
  

Publications

• GUP Magazine, Issue 65, Euro, 2020
• Photo Presse 08, 2020
• Frankenpost, 19th June 2020
• Der Neue Tag, 26th July, 2020
• The Journal of Grievances, Vol. 2 , Antics Publications, 2020
• With Monochrome Eyes, Ed. Daniel Alexander, Ottoby Press, 2020
  
• Isolate Zine, Issue 1, 2020
• British Journal of Photography, Issue 7889, November 2019
  
• HANT – Magazin für Fotografie, Issue 12, Zeichen der Zeit, 2019
  
• On Death, Kris Graves Projects, 2019
  
• RCA Show, Exhibition Catalogue, 2019
• Homeland, Revolv Collective, 2019
  
• Optika Zine, Issue 2, Ginnel Foto Fest, 2019
  
• Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Cornerhouse Publications, 2019
  
• Nook Magazine, Issue 1, 2019
  
• THE OPÉRA, Vol. VII, Kerber Verlag, Ed. Matthias Straub, 2018
  
• Omens, Photobook, self-published, 2018
  
• Dust, Photobook, Ed. Pamela Dimitrov, self-published, 2018
  
• The Matrixial Camera, self-published, 2018
  
• Unvael Journal, Issue 2, Ed. Michael Ash Smith, 2018
  
• Sabat Magazine, Issue 3: The Crone Issue, Ed. Elisabeth Krohn, 2017
  
• Steam Noir: Das Kupferherz, Vol. IV, Guest Artist, Cross Cult, 2015
  
• THE OPÉRA, Vol. IV, Kerber Verlag, Ed. Matthias Straub, 2015
  
• Unlocked, Atopos, Ed. Vassilis Zidianakis, 2015
  

Online Features

Shotkit • British Journal of Photography • Der Greif: Artist Feature + Artist Blog • Der Greif: Guest-Room Emma Bowkett • Vogue.it • Deutsche Fotografische Akademie • The Heavy Collective • Capricious Publishing • Aint–Bad • Phroom Magazine • Phases Magazine • Yogurt Magazine • Musée Magazine • The South West Collective • F-Stop Magazine, Nr. 88 • Source Graduate Review • Royal College of Art • Photograd • Don’t Take Pictures • Stern.de • Curated by Girls • art – Das Kunstmagazin, Akt Now


Instagram Takeovers

GUP Magazine • FORMAT Photography Festival • Splash & Grab • Fast Forward: Women in Photo • The Royal Photographic Society • Photograd • Spectrum Photographic • Magenta Foundation


Talks and Lectures

• 2020, Bauhaus-Universität, Weimar, MA Photographic Storytelling, Guest Lecture
• 2020, Photo Fringe, First Monday, Brighton, Artist Talk
• 2020, With Monochrome Eyes, Borough Road Gallery, London, Guest Speaker

• 2019, London College of Communication, London, MA Photography Symposium, Guest Speaker
  
• 2019, Corpus Christi College, Oxford, Guest Lecture
  
• 2019, Royal College of Art, London, Artist Talk and Guided Tour

• 2015, Studio of Felix Mertikat, Ludwigsburg, Guest Speaker

• 2012, ABM Salon, Heilbronn, Artist Talk with Dr. Bernhard Stumpfhaus
  

Professional Experience

• 2020–Today, Co-Founder and Retoucher, Nightowls Retouching Studio, London / Munich
• 2020–Today, Social Media Manager, The People’s Picture, London
• 2018–2019, Social Media Manager, MA Photography, RCA, London
  
• 2015–2017, Bespoke Framing Consultant, Boesner, Berlin
  
• 2013–2014, Gallery Assistant, Art Society, Erlangen
• 2014, Set Photographer, Séance, dir. by Johannes Franke, Taucha
  
• 2014, Museum Intern, Kunstpalais, Erlangen
  
• 2013, Gallery Intern, Strychnin Gallery, Berlin

Elena’s work is represented in collections in the UK, US, Japan, Thailand, Italy, Germany, Belgium, and France.