Everyone Taking Photos? at Jena City Museum: Photography as the History of Everyday Life
Date and Time
Location
Price
About this Event
Mood
Venue Type
Photography as a Reflection of Everyday Life: Jena Discovers Its Own Image History
The exhibition Everyone Taking Photos? Everyday and Amateur Photography in Jena at the Jena City Museum opens a view into a local photography culture that goes far beyond private snapshots. From September 4 to December 30, 2026, the exhibition connects historical photographs from museum collections, private archives, and photo clubs with current image practices from social media.
Between Memory, Community, and Self-Expression
Photography appears here as a cultural practice that connects people. The exhibition examines how images preserve memories, tell personal stories, and make social changes visible. In this context, analog photographs, amateur shots, and digital image worlds engage in a dynamic dialogue between past and present.
From the Photo Circles of the GDR to Smartphone Images
A special focus is on the development of amateur photography in Jena. The history spans from the early forms of private photographic practice to the photo circles of the GDR and today's smartphone and social media images. The well-established photo circle UNIFOK Jena, which has shaped the city's photographic scene since the 1960s, opens its archives to make the significance of communal image production tangible.
Examination of Works with Cultural-Historical Perspective
The exhibition connects the history of photography, urban history, and cultural education. In the aesthetic experience of the individual photographs, various image languages, materials, and forms of image design become visible. Visitors experience how perspectives, technical possibilities, and notions of private and public images have changed.
A Research Project of Regional and National Significance
The exhibition is part of a nationwide research and transfer project on amateur and everyday photography. Involved are, among others, the Institute for Saxon History and Folklore in Dresden, the Institute for Cultural Anthropology and European Ethnology at the University of Göttingen, the Seminar for Cultural Anthropology and Cultural History at the University of Jena, the Technical Collections Dresden, and the LWL Museum Henrichshütte in Hattingen. The project is funded by the German Research Foundation.
Conclusion: A Photographic Art Experience in the Heart of Jena
Everyone Taking Photos? invites a personal as well as art-historically stimulating examination of works. The exhibition shows that everyday photography forms a significant cultural archive and shapes social reality. Those who want to experience photography as a means of memory, expression, and social bond will find a multifaceted exhibition with sustainable aesthetic experience at the Jena City Museum.
Official Channels of Jena City Museum:
- Instagram: no official profile found
- Facebook: no official profile found
- YouTube: no official profile found
- Website: no official profile found
