Cooper & Gorfer comprises the artists Sarah Cooper (US, 1974) and Nina Gorfer (Austria, 1979). Based on the stories and lives of the women they meet and collaborated with, Cooper & Gorfer explore issues of memory, migration, dislocation, and the malleability of identity.
The artist duo are known for their distinct hybrid portraits. Their photo-based collages are anchored in an anthropological research of people and place. Sarah Cooper and Nina Gorfer reimagine the tradition of portraiture by visually examining and deconstructing the narrative of those they portray. Like art history’s Mannerists and Surrealists, Cooper & Gorfer strain observable reality through a complex psychological filter of memories, moods and wounds.
Cooper & Gorfer began their collaboration in 2006. They live and work in Gothenburg, Sweden. Their artwork has been widely exhibited at highly acclaimed museum venues and institutions including: Hasselblad Center, Kulturhuset Stockholm, Museum Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt, The National Museum of Photography Copenhagen and Fotografiska, amongst others. Cooper & Gorfer’s work is included in several private and museum collections, including the National Gallery of Iceland. They have been awarded the German Photo Book Award 2018 for their book I Know Not These My Hands (2017 Kehrer Verlag). Cooper & Gorfer are Hasselblad Ambassadors.
“We share a deeply rooted interest in the female story and how our experiences and socio-cultural background influence our sense of self. Our work strives to articulate the unapparent and the hidden desires we hold dear, paying tribute to the many layers of life and memories that shape us.”
Cooper and Gorfer
Cooper & Gorfer comprises the artists Sarah Cooper (US, 1974) and Nina Gorfer (Austria, 1979). Based on the stories and lives of the women they meet and collaborated with, Cooper & Gorfer explore issues of memory, migration, dislocation, and the malleability of identity.
The artist duo are known for their distinct hybrid portraits. Their photo-based collages are anchored in an anthropological research of people and place. Sarah Cooper and Nina Gorfer reimagine the tradition of portraiture by visually examining and deconstructing the narrative of those they portray. Like art history’s Mannerists and Surrealists, Cooper & Gorfer strain observable reality through a complex psychological filter of memories, moods and wounds.
Cooper & Gorfer began their collaboration in 2006. They live and work in Gothenburg, Sweden. Their artwork has been widely exhibited at highly acclaimed museum venues and institutions including: Hasselblad Center, Kulturhuset Stockholm, Museum Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt, The National Museum of Photography Copenhagen and Fotografiska, amongst others. Cooper & Gorfer’s work is included in several private and museum collections, including the National Gallery of Iceland. They have been awarded the German Photo Book Award 2018 for their book I Know Not These My Hands (2017 Kehrer Verlag). Cooper & Gorfer are Hasselblad Ambassadors.
“We share a deeply rooted interest in the female story and how our experiences and socio-cultural background influence our sense of self. Our work strives to articulate the unapparent and the hidden desires we hold dear, paying tribute to the many layers of life and memories that shape us.”
Cooper and Gorfer
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Ukrainian Institute of Modern ArtMuseum / ChicagoThe Institute was founded in 1971 through the initiative of art collectors Dr. Achilles and Vera Chreptowsky, and sculptors Konstantin Milonadis and Mychajlo Urban. They wanted to fill a void in the public’s understanding of nationally and internationally recognized Ukrainian artists engaged with contemporary art.
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Lotta Antonsson: I Am EverythingApr 25 – Nov 29, 2026One of Sweden’s leading contemporary photographers, Lotta Antonsson, is coming to Fotografiska with I Am Everything. In this exhibition, the artist explores themes of gender, identity, and objectification within a visual world
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Sean ScullyArtistSean Scully is one of the most important painters of his generation. While known primarily for his large-scale abstract paintings, Scully also works in a variety of diverse media, including printmaking, sculpture, watercolor and pastel.
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Irène ZurkindenAug 27 – Nov 28, 2026Coinciding with Kunsttage Basel, this August we present a solo exhibition dedicated to the work of Swiss artist Irène Zurkinden (1909–1987) at our Basel gallery. Zurkinden defied easy categorisation, developing a distinctive painterly language...
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Constellations: Contemporary Jewelry from the Dallas Museum of ArtJul 10, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027
“Constellations: Contemporary Jewelry from the Dallas Museum of Art” showcases more than 350 works from one of the most significant contemporary jewelry collections in the United States.
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Ralph Steadman: And Another ThingAug 26 – Dec 13, 2026Ralph Steadman is one of the most influential British graphic artists of the last 50 years. He is famous for his long collaboration with Hunter S. Thompson, notably illustrating Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which inspired two films in 1979 and 1998.
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Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes ArtMar 28 – Nov 8, 2026
The UK’s first exhibition on Elsa Schiaparelli spans the 1920s to today, celebrating the innovative designer’s influence. It traces the fashion house’s groundbreaking origins and its evolution under current creative director Daniel Roseberry.
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New Humans: Memories of the FutureMar 21, 2026 - OngoingNew Humans: Memories of the Future will inaugurate the New Museum’s expanded building with an exploration of artists’ enduring preoccupation with what it means to be human in the face of sweeping technological changes. New Humans will trace a diagonal history of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries...
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The Other Side of the MountainOct 14, 2026 – Mar 21, 2027
The Other side of the Mountain brings together contemporary artists working across the African continent and within the Afro-Nordic diaspora. They explore how cities and modern landscapes shape our connections to one another…
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40th Anniversary Archival PresentationMar 19 – Dec 20, 2026The MIT List Visual Arts Center traces its origins to the Hayden Gallery (founded in 1950), which brought artists and the MIT community together through diverse exhibitions and residency projects.
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Our 9th Year AnniversaryArtpil / Prescription 176Here we are again, this time, rounding out our ninth year with 7,000 pages of Articles, Profiles, and Announcements in our growing archive and over 10 million visits strong. A very exciting journey it has been ...
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Arnold J. Kemp: Not One ThingJul 28 – Dec 6, 2026
Arnold J. Kemp: Not One Thing is the first institutional survey of work by the Chicago-based artist Arnold J. Kemp (b. 1968, Boston). The exhibition focuses on Kemp’s performative and material tendencies of masking, traced through various media.
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Joseph BeuysArtistJoseph Beuys was born in 1921, in Krefeld, Germany. During his school years in Kleve, Beuys was exposed to the work of Achilles Moortgat, whose studio he often visited, and was inspired by the sculptures of Wilhelm Lehmbruck.
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Art Week Tokyo 2026November 4–8, 2026
Art Week Tokyo 2026 expands its activation of the city’s diverse array of museums and art spaces. New institutional highlights include Nam June Paik: The 20th Anniversary of His Passing at Watari-um…
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World Press Photo 2026Winners & ExhibitionsWorld Press Photo is an independent non-profit organization that champions the power of photojournalism and documentary photography to deepen understanding of the world’s complexities, promote dialogue, and inspire action.
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Forever Marked By The DayJun 26, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027Reflecting on loss, resilience and the power of rebuilding, “Forever Marked By The Day: A Quarter Century of Mourning and Renewal” marks 25 years since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Approached through an architectural lens, the exhibition fosters intergenerational dialogue...
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Performing Arts Season2026–2027In today’s world, our commitment to connecting community with world-class creative innovators has never been more vital. Vanguard dance, music, and adventurous theater artists offer fresh ideas and energy, while bringing us together...
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Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the SensesMay 16 – Dec 6, 2026
Van Herpen transcends conventional clothing norms while embracing both traditional couture artisanship and innovative techniques. Ranging from the micro to the macro, the exhibition explores the body’s place in space…
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