Elena Helfrecht

About the artist


Elena Helfrecht (*1992) is a visual artist based in Bavaria. Her photographic practice explores phenomena of consciousness, rooted in autobiography and reaching into the fantastic, the surreal, and the uncanny. Interweaving memory, experience, and invention, she builds layered narratives with a visceral, often unsettling iconography.  Her photographs bridge inner and outer worlds, linking personal perception to collective history.

Central to her work is an engagement with horror and the abject as a way of approaching existential questions that resist easy answers. Her images hold rather than resolve their ambivalence: the house is both shelter and archive of haunting, folklore both a threat and a communal way of coping in times of crisis. She is influenced by the landscapes of her home, her lifelong fascination with the horror genre, and a deep engagement with art history, literature, and psychology.

Helfrecht's work has been shown in group and solo exhibitions internationally, at institutions and festivals including South London Gallery (UK), Galleria Civica Cavour (IT), The Benaki Museum (GR), Villa Kebbel (DE), Photo Vogue Festival (IT), Les Rencontres d'Arles (FR), and Peckham 24 (UK). She is a recipient of the BJP International Photography Award, a Sony World Photography Award, the Camera Work Award, and the Association of Photographers Student Award. She was named one of the Bloomberg New Contemporaries and nominated for the FOAM Paul Huf Award. Her images have been featured in numerous publications, including The New Yorker, Granta, Die ZEIT, the Financial Times, and the Guardian. She has given lectures and talks at institutions including the London College of Communication, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, and the University of Europe. Her work is held in private and public collections.
Portrait by Teri Varhol

Education


2017–19 · Royal College of Art, London · M.A. Photography
2017–19 · Humboldt-Universität, Berlin · Art & Image History
2011–15 · FAU, Erlangen · B.A. Art History & Book Science


Awards & Grants


2026
  • Open Doors Photo Prize · Runner-up

2025
  • Henrik teNeues Photography Award · Finalist

2024
  • Arles Book Awards · Shortlist
  • Fotobus Library Award · Shortlist

2023
  • Futures Photography Talent · Selected by VOID
  • Marta Hoepffner Award · Shortlist
  • LensCulture Critics’ Choice Award · Winner

2022
  • Stiftung Kunstfonds Work Grant · Recipient

2021
  • BJP International Photo Award · Winner (Single image)
  • Stipend of the State of Bavaria · Recipient
  • Latgalian Culture Annual Awards · Winner with M. Dzeisla
  • Lensculture Black & White Awards · Jurors’ Pick
  • Portraits Hellerau Photography Award · Finalist

2020
  • BJP International Photo Award · Runner-up
  • Sony World Photography Awards · 2nd Place
  • FOAM Paul Huf Award · Nominee
  • Camera Work Award  · Winner
  • HSBC Prix pour la Photographie · Finalist
  • a-n Time Space Money Bursary · Recipient
  • The Aftermath Project Grant · Finalist

2019
  • Le Bal Award for Young Creation · Jury Favourite
  • Bloomberg New Contemporaries · Selected
  • Travers Smith CSR Art Programme · Selected
  • Ginnel Foto Award · Winner
  • The Association of Photographers Student Award · Winner


Works in Collections


  • The Museum of Modern Art · Special Collections Library, NY, US
  • District of Upper Palatinate · Permanent Collection, Schwandorf, DE
  • Palazzo Rasponi 2 · Permanent Collection, Municipality of Ravenna, IT
  • Fondazione Orestiadi · Permanent Collection, Gibellina, IT
  • Private Collections · DE, FR, IT, ES, BE, UK, US, JP, TH


Memberships


  • Deutsche Fotografische Akademie
  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photographie
  • VG Bildkunst
  • VG Wort


Selected Lectures & Talks


2024
  • Academy of Art & Documentary Photography · St. Petersburg, RU
  • Nearest Truth Podcast · Ep. 394

2023
  • Bildband · Artist Talk with Maria Sturm, Berlin, DE
  • Ewigkeitstage · Kulturmontag, Regensburg, DE
  • Nearest Truth Photobook Program · Berlin/Athens, DE/GR

2022
  • Academy of Art & Documentary Photography · St. Petersburg, RU
  • London College of Communication · MA Photojournalism & Documentary Photography, UK

2021
  • Deutsche Fotografische Akademie · Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Mannheim, DE
  • University of Europe · BA Photography, Berlin/Hamburg, DE
  • Arts University Bournemouth · BA Photography, UK

  • 2020
    Deutsche Fotografische Akademie · with Boris Eldagsen, DE
  • University of Brighton · MA Photography, UK
  • Bauhaus-Universität · BA Photographic Storytelling, Weimar, DE
  • Brighton Photo Fringe · First Monday, UK
  • With Monochrome Eyes · Borough Road Gallery, London, UK

2019
  • London College of Communication · MA Photography Symposium, UK
  • Corpus Christi College · Photography Module, Oxford, UK

Selected Exhibitions


2027
  • Open Doors Photo Prize · Dandi, London, UK (23 Jan — 23 Feb)
  • Kleine Ereignisse · Museum Goch, DE (11 Nov 26 — 31 Jan 27)

2026
  • Plexus · Galerie Fotografic, Prague, CZ  [solo]
  • Plexus · Galerie Forum Kunst, Plauen, DE [solo]
  • Codex Connection · Bildband, Berlin, DE (Oct 29 – Dec 1)
  • Night Moves · UNTITLED Vol. 2, Oakland, US
  • VIS à VIS · MEMU, Essing, DE

2025
  • Plexus · Galerie Jiřího Jílka, Šumperk, CZ [solo]
  • Making a Home · EMOP / Galerie Alles Mögliche, Berlin, DE [solo]
  • Good morning, I’m off to bed! · Ka Space for Visual Culture, Ankara, TR

2024
  • Plexus · Villa Kebbel, Schwandorf, DE [solo]
  • Sie sind da! · Villa Kebbel, Schwandorf, DE
  • In the Woods, at the Dead of Night · Blue Raven Gallery, Maine, US
  • Night of the Year · La Croisière, Les Rencontres d'Arles, FR
  • Palm* Photo Prize · 1014 Gallery, London, UK
  • Sein Name ist Pferd · Museumsgalerie Rosshaupten, DE
  • LensCulture New Discoveries · Caelum Gallery, New York, US

2023
  • Předzvěst · Galerie Jiřího Jílka, Šumperk, CZ [duo w. Teri Varhol]
  • Unternächte · Kleinste Galerie, Regensburg, DE [solo]
  • As Above, So Below · Hypha Studios, London, UK
  • Zeitstreifen · Villa Kebbel, Schwandorf, DE
  • Images Gibellina · Fondazione Orestiadi, Gibellina, IT
  • In anderem Licht · Stadtmuseum Hofheim am Taunus, DE
  • Der Greif: Past & Present · Pinakothek der Moderne / ZIRKA, Munich, DE
  • Matrixial Spaces · Luisa Catucci Gallery, Berlin, DE [curation]
  • The Chills · Oigall Projects, Melbourne, AU
  • Ferdinand · Kulturverein Hotel Kovèl, Oberammergau, DE

2022
  • Plexus · Bürgerforum, Wunsiedel, DE [solo]
  • In neuem Licht · Villa Kebbel, Schwandorf, DE
  • BJP IPA Singles Show · Seen Fifteen Gallery, London, UK
  • Schichtung des Realen · Kunsthaus Sans Titre, Potsdam, DE
  • Helsinki Photo Festival · The National Museum of Finland, Helsinki, FI
  • Athens Photo Festival · Benaki Museum, Athens, GR
  • Mythologien · Cathy Project Space, Furth im Wald, DE
  • FACT FICTION FANTASY · Peckham 24, Copeland Gallery, London, UK
  • Collected Tales · Antics Publications, Bungee Space, New York, US

2021
  • Reframing History · Photo Vogue Festival, BASE Milano, Milan, IT
  • Photoville · Old Fulton Street and Prospect Street, New York, US
  • Emergentes · Encontros Da Imagem, Mosteiro de Tibães, Braga, PT
  • International Photography Festival · Singelpark, Leiden, NL
  • Photopia · Hidden Galleries, Hamburg, DE
  • Keep Your Eyes Peeled VII · AFF Galerie, Berlin, DE
  • Festival Internacional de Fotografia · Palácio das Artes, Belo Horizonte, BR
  • Togetherness · Portraits Hellerau, Technische Sammlungen, Dresden, DE
  • In Search of Identity · Künstlerhaus, f2 Fotofestival, Dortmund, DE
  • FORMAT International Photography Festival · Derby, UK

2020
  • Plexus · Galleria Civica Cavour, Photo Open Up, Padua, IT [solo]
  • Plexus · Palazzo Rasponi 2, Ravenna, IT [solo]
  • False Memory · Rugby Art Gallery & Museum, Rugby, UK
  • Hurry Up Please It’s Time · Seen Fifteen Gallery, London, UK
  • Sony World Photography Awards · Sony Imaging Gallery, Tokyo, JP
  • With Monochrome Eyes · Borough Road Gallery, London, UK
  • Bloomberg New Contemporaries · South London Gallery, London, UK

2019
  • Bloomberg New Contemporaries · Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds, UK
  • New Talents · The Photographic Exploration Project, Berlin, DE
  • Statement of Being · Deptford Does Art, London, UK
  • RCA Show · Royal College of Art, London, UK
  • In Repeat · Ginnel Foto Fest, Frameworkshop & Gallery, Ipswich, UK
  • Hot Sheet · Downstairs at The Department Store, London, UK
  • Alarum · Ardesia Projects, Berlin, DE
  • Intro:spective · Revolv Collective, Seen Fifteen Gallery, London, UK
  • Envisioning Other Worlds · Bow Arts, London, UK

2018
  • RCA Secret · Royal College of Art, London, UK
  • Family of No Man · Cosmos Books, Arles, FR
  • One Year Revolv · Revolv Collective,  Safe House 1, London, UK

2017
  • Trash cans for hearts and people have no soul · Fotofestiwal, Łódź, PL
  • La peau de l'ours · Galerie Marie Demange, Brussels, BE

Monographs


  • Unternächte. Void 2026, GR
  • Plexus. Void, 2023 GR
  • Augury. Antics Publications, 2022, US/CO [with Teri Varhol]
  • Omens. Self-published, 2018, UK


Anthologies


  • Der König in Gelb. Ed. Levin Handschuh. Deutsche Lovecraft-Gesellschaft 2024, DE
  • Vysta Smierts. Marija Dzeisla. Valodu Māja 2022, LV
  • Animals: Photographs That Make You Think. Henry Carroll. Abrams Books 2021, UK
  • The Journal of Grievances IV: Collected Tales. Antics Publications 2021, US/CO
  • The Journal of Grievances II. Antics Publications 2020, US/CO
  • On Death. Ed. Kris Graves. Kris Graves Projects 2019, US
  • Homeland. Ed. Revolv Collective. Revolv Collective 2019, UK
  • The Opéra VI & VII. Ed. Matthias Straub. Kerber Verlag 2019, DE


Selected Print Features


  • Gaze Magazine. Issue 11, 2025, FR
  • Die ZEIT. Issue 22, 2025, DE
  • Philosophie Magazin. Kafka Special Issue 29, 2024, DE
  • Granta. Issue 165, 2024, UK
  • Schwarzweiss Magazin. Issue 153, 2024, DE
  • Hot Potato News. Issue 4, 2024, UK
  • Financial Times Weekend. March 2022, UK
  • Der Freitag. 18. November 2022, DE
  • ZEIT Magazin. Issue 53, 2022, DE
  • Grandmama's Print. Issue 2, 2022, RU
  • Schwarzweiss Magazin. Issue 142, 2021, DE
  • The British Journal of Photography. Issue 7903, 2021, UK
  • Source Magazine. Issue 104, 2021, UK
  • Directions: The Magazine by Design Hotels. Issue 17, 2021, DE
  • GUP Magazine. Issue 65, 2020, NL
  • Gaze Magazine. Issue 1, 2020, FR
  • The British Journal of Photography. Issue 7889, 2019, UK
  • HANT – Magazin für Fotografie. Issue 12, 2019, DE


Selected Online Features


  • The Guardian · Plexus
  • Collector Daily · Plexus
  • Creative Review · Plexus
  • Perlentaucher · Plexus
  • Contemporary Lynx · Plexus
  • Leica Fotografie International · Plexus
  • Phroom · Plexus
  • Fisheye · Ten Questions
  • Tique · Six Questions
  • The New Yorker · Anatoly by Oleh Sentsov
  • Lensculture · Unternächte [interview]
  • Fisheye · Unternächte [interview]
  • ZEIT online · Unternächte
  • Financial Times · Lights Out
  • Lenscratch · Plexus [interview]
  • Kwerfeldein · Augury
  • GUP Magazine · Augury [interview]
  • Paper Journal · Augury [interview]
  • Port Magazine · Augury [interview]
  • The British Journal of Photography · Plexus
  • Vogue Italia · A Reframed Library
  • PHMuseum · Healing Trauma
  • Bird in Flight Magazine · Plexus
  • SOLA Journal · Plexus [interview]
  • STIR World · Plexus [interview]
  • The British Journal of Photography · On Vulnerability
  • Der Greif · Artist Feature + Artist Blog
  • Kwerfeldein · Plexus
  • The British Journal of Photography · Class of 2019
  • Vogue Italia · RCA Graduates
  • Archivo Platform · Plexus [interview]
  • Aint–Bad · Plexus [interview]