COMMUNITY
Photography and Belonging
11. February – May 25, 2026The soccer fan club, the family, the political collective – people strive to belong. Since the invention of photography, the medium has not only captured belonging, but can also fuel or question it. Photography makes it possible to demonstrate that you are part of something bigger. It can also be used to draw boundaries with those who are not part of one’s own community.
Press text
Download press textPlease note: The use of the image material is only permitted free of charge in connection with current journalistic reporting on the relevant exhibitions and events, provided the copyright is named. Cropping of the illustrations is not permitted.
The exhibition, which will be on display at the Kunstpalast from February 10 to May 25, 2026, sheds light on the multifaceted relationship between photography and community in the past and present. It brings together applied and artistic positions that explore this relationship – whether with subtle humor, impressive solidarity or with the aim of precise analysis.
The exhibition is developed from the photographic collection of the Kunstpalast and supplemented by international loans. Visitors will be actively involved in the exhibition and can contribute their own community images. The exhibition will be accompanied by a richly illustrated catalog with contributions from art history, sociology and historical research on the subject.
Please note: The use of the image material is only permitted free of charge in connection with current journalistic reporting on the relevant exhibitions and events, provided the copyright is named. Cropping of the illustrations is not permitted.
Press images
Neal Slavin, Star Trek Convention, 1972-1975, chromogenic print, 25.8 x 38.1 cm, Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
Unknown, Trimmed Edge of a Photo, ca. 1950s, Gelatin silver print, 10,2 × 4,2 cm, Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Photo: Kunstpalast – LVRZMB – Joshua Esthers
From the Family Album: Owusu, 1999, Courtesy of the Owner / Black Archive Germany
Ludwig Schirmer, Untitled, from the Series: A Village, 1950–1960, Gelatin silver print, 27 × 39,5 cm, Courtesy of the Artists
Dolf Siebert, 1949, Crowds at a Fortuna Game, Gelatin silver print, 22,5 × 13 cm, Stadtarchiv Düsseldorf
Capital Wrestling Corporation, Washington, D.C., Neal Slavin, aus der Serie: When Two or More Are Gathered Together, Neal Slavin, Chromogener Farbabzug, 1972–1975, 26,8 x 26,8 cm, Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Foto: Neal Slavin
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Sarah Wulbrandt
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Christina Bolius
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