Eva Rubinstein. Proof of Life
The Benrath Palace and Park Foundation is presenting, for the first time in Germany, a comprehensive retrospective of the work of the internationally renowned photographer Eva Rubinstein (born 1933 in Buenos Aires). Around 150 vintage prints, produced and signed by the artist herself, offer a multifaceted insight into a body of work characterised by intimacy, tranquillity and subtle light – ranging from poetic interiors and striking portraits to travel, landscape and nude photographs. Today, Eva Rubinstein is regarded as one of the most influential and subtle voices in international
photography of the 20th century. The daughter of the pianist Artur Rubinstein and the dancer Aniela Rubinstein (née Młynarska), she grew up in pre-war Paris. She fled with her family to the United States to escape the Nazi threat. There, she initially embarked on a career as a dancer and actress before discovering photography as her artistic medium in the late 1960s. Between 1967 and 1997, she produced a cohesive body of photographic work that is now represented in major international collections. Eva Rubinstein lives in New York. Although her photographs are held in renowned museums and public and private collections worldwide, her work remains relatively unknown in Germany. With *Proof of Life*, the Benrath Palace and Park Foundation and the Clara Maria Sels Gallery are presenting the first comprehensive museum exhibition of her work in Germany. The exhibition offers an overview of the full spectrum of her oeuvre. Alongside the interiors characteristic of Eva Rubinstein’s work, the exhibition features portraits, travel and landscape photographs, as well as nudes. Her images draw attention to the unassuming and explore themes of memory, identity, transience and the traces of a life lived. Her photographs are
characterised by intimacy, stillness and subtle light. With a keen sensitivity to light, space and atmosphere, they blend external reality and inner perception to create poetic visual worlds. The exhibition is complemented by previously rarely seen material from the artist’s private archive, which offers insights into her personal life and artistic career.
The exhibition has been organised in collaboration with the Clara Maria Sels Gallery. The opening reception will take place on 2 September at 7 pm.
Exhibition dates: 4 September to 29 November 2026