Everyone taking pictures? Experience photo culture and city history at the Jena City Museum
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Jena's photographic memory between family albums and social media
The exhibition Everyone taking pictures? Everyday and amateur photography in Jena at the Jena City Museum focuses on photography as a part of daily life, the culture of remembrance, and social interaction. From September 4 to December 30, 2026, a multifaceted dialogue will develop between historical photographs, private archives, photo club collections, and current works from social media.
From analog prints to digital moments
The exhibition traces the transformation of photographic practices from the beginnings of amateur photography through the photo circles of the GDR to the smartphone photography of today. Photographs, cameras, negatives, albums, and other technical objects make visible how image language, materials, and social viewing habits have changed.
Jena in focus of personal perspectives
Historical views of the city encounter photographs from private collections and works from the traditional photo circle UNIFOK Jena e. V., which has shaped Jena's photographic scene since the 1960s. Roofs, towers, landscapes, and everyday situations do not appear as neutral motifs, but as expressions of individual perception and collective city history.
Photography as a social practice
The curatorial focus is on questions about photographing, collecting, sharing, and remembering. The five thematic areas of change and diversity, female and male photographers, appropriation, sustainability, and body and everyday life open up an art-historically and cultural-anthropologically grounded examination of works. Four specially produced films provide additional insights into the work of various photographers and the activities of UNIFOK Jena.
Participate, discover, and rethink
The exhibition connects aesthetic experience with cultural education. Visitors can present their own photographs on a photo wall, discover contributions from the Jena photo competition – view and evaluate my favorite place or favorite perspective, and learn how a plate camera works or how a film can be rewound using only the sense of touch. Lectures, image discussions with members of UNIFOK Jena, and a creative workshop with photograms for children and families complement the accompanying program.
Conclusion: An art experience about images, memories, and community
This exhibition showcases photography not just as a technical method, but as a cultural practice and visual memory of a city. The exhibition atmosphere connects historical documents with contemporary visual worlds and invites personal contemplation of the works. Anyone wishing to rediscover Jena, its people, and their own aesthetic experience of seeing should experience this unique art event live at the City Museum.
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