Birgit Filzmaier
19th & 20th Century Fine Art Photography
Zurich/Switzerland
T. +41 44 262 88 94
M. +41 79 249 98 57
info@birgitfilzmaier.com
By Appointment Only
Birgit Filzmaier is an art historian, photography expert and private dealer of classic and modern photography with a particular focus on working closely with private collectors and institutions to build collections of quality and depth. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Birgit combines over thirty years of experience in the field of fine art photography with long-term relationships and an excellent international network of renowned photographers, artists' estates, auction specialists, and museum curators.
Her reputation is built on expertise, integrity, discretion, and her passion for photography.
Birgit Filzmaier represents a select number of photographers and works directly with some renowned photographers' estates. She also develops collecting strategies and concepts for private and institutional collectors, and provides auction services, curatorial assistance, collection management, and valuations. Birgit has contributed extensively to exhibition catalogues, magazines and artist books, lectured on collecting photography in Switzerland, Germany, France and Spain, and has been commissioned to co-curate several major museum exhibitions, including “Allure. Collection Susanne von Meiss” at Chanel Nexus Hall, Toyko (2009) and c/o Berlin (2016) and “A Personal View on High Fashion and Street Style: Photographs from the Nicola Erni Collection, 1930 to Now” at the Norton Museum of Art, Palm Beach (2022) and the Het Noordbrabants Museum, 's-Hertogenbosch/Holland (2023).
Educated in Germany with a Master's degree in Art History from the Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg, Germany, and a Master's thesis on 19th-century travel photography to the Near and Middle East, Birgit began her professional career in 1991 as curator and gallery director at Galerie Zur Stockeregg in Zurich, where she focused mainly on American and European vintage photography from 1900 to the 1950s. During her time at Galerie Zur Stockeregg the gallery participated in major art fairs, such as ART Basel, ART Cologne, ARCO Madrid, Works on Paper, New York, and the Photography Show/AIPAD, New York. From 1996 to 1997 she was responsible for the start-up of the newly founded gallery at SCALO Publishers in Zurich with exhibitions of contemporary photographers, such as Juergen Teller, Dayanita Singh, Seydou Keita, and Anton Corbijn.
Since 1998 Birgit Filzmaier has been working as an independent private dealer, curator and photography expert.
Birgit Filzmaier is a member of the DGPh (German Photographic Society) and the VKKS (Swiss Association of Art Historians).