Just like in the book The Blueberry Machine, workshop participants will build crazy machines and combine them with a photo of themselves.

Structure:
At the beginning of the workshop, each participant will be photographed using a trick that is typical of Jan von Holleben’s work: You lie on the ground while the photo is taken from above, from a ladder. This makes it possible to appear as if you’re flying, jumping, or doing a handstand. Anything is possible.
Next, participants will build small machines out of found objects and everyday materials. Jan will then photograph this combination of object and portrait. This is exactly how the images in the book The Blueberry Machine were created. A surreal effect—without any digital editing. The finished magical machine portraits will be printed out afterwards.

Bios:

Jan von Holleben was born in 1977. He sees a strong connection between his photographic work and the influence of his parents—a cinematographer and a child therapist. After first studying special education at the PH Freiburg, he moved to London, earned a degree in the theory and history of photography at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design under David Campany, and immersed himself in the London photography scene, where he worked as a picture editor, art director, and photographic director. His photographic work, which centers on the homo ludens—the human who learns through play—is rooted in the intersection of educational theory and his personal experiences with play. His regular editorial contributions have helped reshape Germany’s photographic visual culture, and his more than 20 art and children's books have been translated into seventeen languages.
He is the founder and director of the initiative Kids❤️Photography.

Monte Packham writes for both children and adults. He is the author of books such as Concentric Circles (2010), ABC Photography (2016), Living with Matisse, Picasso and Christo: Theodor Ahrenberg and His Collections (2018)—winner of Book of the Year at the Collector’s Awards 2019, Photo Adventures (2019), Rhyme Time (2021), and The Blueberry Machine (2022).
Born in Sydney in 1981, Packham holds degrees in Art History and Law. He lives and works in Berlin.

Date: Saturday, 04 October 2025, 1:00–2:30 p.m.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Cost: No participation fee
Language: German
Age: Workshop for children aged 6–10
Meeting point: Main entrance / Foyer FOTO ARSENAL WIEN
Maximum number of participants: 20 people

Registration required.
For more information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Credits: Jan von Holleben und Monte Packham, Die Blaubeermaschine, Little Steidl: Göttingen 2023 © Jan von Holleben und Monte Packham