Everyone taking pictures? At the Stadtmuseum Jena, photography becomes the visual memory of the city
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Jena in the photographic gaze: Everyday life, memory, and community
The exhibition Everyone taking pictures? Everyday and amateur photography in Jena at the Stadtmuseum Jena opens a view into a pictorial history that begins right in everyday life. From September 4 to December 30, 2026, historical photographs from the Stadtmuseum's collections, private archives, photographs from Jena's photo clubs, and current practices in social media come together.
Photography as a cultural everyday practice
At the center is the question of what photographs tell us about people, places, and societal changes. The exhibition considers photography not only as a technical method or aesthetic medium but as a social practice: images preserve memories, mark affiliations, and shape the view of one's own city.
The historical development ranges from the beginnings of amateur photography through the photo circles of the GDR to the digital present. This creates a multifaceted dialogue between analog image culture, communal learning, and today's smartphone photography.
Between photo circles and social media
Particular attention is paid to the long-standing photo circle UNIFOK Jena e.V., which has influenced the photographic scene of the city since the 1960s. Selected works and opened archives make visible how amateur photographers observed their surroundings, shared photographic knowledge, and collaboratively developed a visual chronicle of Jena.
The historical positions are contrasted with current works by social media photographers. The exhibition thus examines changes in imagery, image circulation, and self-presentation. What used to circulate in family albums, photo clubs, or as paper prints now appears in digital feeds and publicly shared image worlds.
Work exploration and aesthetic experience
The presentation invites focused viewing of the works. Various formats, photographic materials, and image situations make the exhibition atmosphere varied. Private snapshots meet urban views, documentary images meet personal memory images.
It is precisely in this connection that the art experience unfolds: photography appears as the painting of light, as visual memory, and as a cultural action. The aesthetic experience arises where familiar everyday scenes suddenly gain historical depth and seemingly casual images become testimonies of an era.
Cultural education with a local reference
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.
Accompanying tours and events deepen the themes of the exhibition. A public tour addresses the photographic practice from the analog camera to the digital image and invites visitors to bring their favorite photo. Thus, the curation connects art historical classification, local history, and personal memory.
Conclusion: Experience Jena as a visual memory
Everyone taking pictures? shows how closely photography is connected to everyday life, identity, and community. Visitors can expect an informative exhibition between local cultural history, amateur art, and contemporary photography. Those who want to trace the development of image culture and sharpen their own photographic perspective will experience an inspiring aesthetic experience at the Stadtmuseum Jena. A visit is especially worthwhile for all who want to understand photography not only as an image but as part of societal memory.
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