Everyone taking pictures? at the City Museum Jena: Experience photography as cultural memory
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Everyone taking pictures? Jena's photographic memory between everyday life and present
The exhibition Everyone taking pictures? Everyday and Amateur Photography in Jena at the Jena City Museum explores the diverse history of local photographic culture. From the beginnings of amateur photography through the photo circles of the GDR to today's image practices in social media, photography is experienced as a creative means of expression, medium of memory, and social link.
Photography as cultural practice
Historical images from the collections of the City Museum, private photo archives, and photographs from Jena photo clubs enter into an exciting dialogue with current works by social media photographers. The exhibition asks what our images tell us about personal memories, social changes, and living together in the city.
Between amateur photography and digital image world
The curation connects photography history, city history, and media culture. A special focus is given to the traditional photo circle UNIFOK Jena, which has shaped the city's photographic scene since the 1960s. Its archives provide insights into the photographic work of amateur photographers in the GDR and make visible how communal learning, artwork viewing, and aesthetic experience shaped local photographic culture.
Memory, community, and present
The exhibition presents photography not only as technical image production but as a cultural practice. Family pictures, city views, and photographic documents of everyday life preserve moments, create identity, and change the perspective on one's own surroundings. In contrast, smartphone photography and social media stand out, where images are shared, commented on, and re-staged immediately today.
Cultural education at the City Museum
Guided tours and accompanying educational offerings open additional perspectives on the five thematic areas of the exhibition. The City Museum combines art historical classification with everyday media education and invites visitors to critically reflect on their own photographic practices.
Conclusion: An art experience about images that connect us
Visitors can expect an illustrative exhibition about photography as a memory storage, form of expression, and social action. Those who want to understand how images shape Jena, its residents, and our collective memory will experience a knowledgeable curation and sensually stimulating examination of works here. Visit the exhibition live and discover the photographed everyday life with new eyes.
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- Website: https://www.jenakultur.de/de/einrichtungen/stadtmuseum_jena/605385
