Katrin Bauer (*1992) is an independent curator and writer, based in Munich.

Her curatorial research and written work is driven by an interest in photography’s representational politics and decolonial strategies in contemporary art production. She currently serves as assistant editor at Haus der Kunst as well as co-curator and project coordinator of FOTODOKS, a Munich-based festival dedicated to contemporary documentary photography. Prior to this, she has been working as research associate for Photography and Time-based Media at the Pinakotheken (2022–2024) and as assistant curator at Fotomuseum Winterthur (2021–2023). In these roles, she contributed to various exhibitions, publications and events on media art and photography. She is the recipient of the C/O Berlin Talent Award 2024 in the category “Theorist”, worked as a visiting lecturer in the field of photography theory and served on the advisory board of the commission “Art in Public Space” of the City of Freiburg.

Katrin Bauer holds degrees from the Zurich University of the Arts and the University for Fine Arts, Design and Music, Freiburg. Her writings have been featured in Camera Austria, Christoph Merian Verlag, Deichtorhallen Hamburg, DISTANZ, Fotomuseum Winterthur, Museum Folkwang, Pinakothek der Moderne, Rundbrief Fotografie, Spector Books and transcript Verlag, among others.

EDUCATION
2018–2021 | Master of Arts, ZHdK – Zurich University of the Arts
Art Education, Curatorial Studies

2014–2017 | Bachelor of Arts, hKDM – University for Fine Arts, Design and Music Freiburg, Photography and Moving Images

AWARDS, GRANTS
C/O Berlin Talent Award 2024 | Theorist
Recipient of PhotoIreland‘s Travel Grant Programme for International Curators 2022

LECTURESHIPS
Winter term 2019 | Lectureship for Academic Writing — Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Macromedia University of Applied Sciences Freiburg (D)

Spring term 2017 – Winter term 2018 | Lectureship for Theory in Contemporary Photography — Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, hKDM – University for Fine Arts, Design and Music Freiburg (D)

Spring term 2017 | Lectureship for Preparatory Design Studies — Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, hKDM – University for Fine Arts, Design and Music Freiburg (D)

PORTFOLIO REVIEWS
PhotoIreland 2022 | Critical Practice Review + Photo Walks Professional — Bedford Tower + the Printworks, Dublin
Plat(t)form 2022 | Jury member portfolio selection, Fotomuseum Winterthur

COLLECTIVES & MEMBERSHIPS
Deutscher Verband für Kunstgeschichte e.V.
Spectrum – Photography in Switzerland
Fotodoks e.V.