Katherine Hubbard's 'The Great Room' at Secession, Vienna

Katherine Hubbard's exhibition titled 'The Great Room' at Vienna's Secession, overseen by curator Bettina Spörr, showcases a photographic endeavor spanning five years (2020–2025) that captures her mother Antonette Berger's journey with LATE dementia. Initiated during the Covid-19 pandemic, the project focuses on Berger's first-floor apartment in a Victorian residence she inhabited for over four decades. As her mother's primary caregiver, Hubbard employs photography to bridge the divide between medical assessments and real-life experiences. The works often feature Hubbard with her camera, subverting conventional subject-object dynamics. Some images see Berger herself activating the shutter, shifting the balance of agency. Additionally, the exhibition includes cameraless prints created by pressing bodies coated in Vaseline onto photographic paper, transforming touch into visual representation. The title alludes to the apartment's largest room, now partitioned by a temporary wall, representing memory and narrative. The exhibition's design, with its makeshift walls, mirrors the apartment's spatial arrangement. Born in Philadelphia in 1981, Hubbard splits her time between Stone Ridge, NY, and New York City. This exhibition is co-commissioned with Studio Voltaire in London, where an additional segment will be displayed from 7 October 2026 to 10 January 2027.