Everyone taking pictures? History of photography and urban society at the City Museum Jena
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Everyone taking pictures? Discover Jena's visual memory at the City Museum
The exhibition Everyone taking pictures? Everyday and amateur photography in Jena runs from September 4 to December 30, 2026, through the diverse history of local photo culture. At the City Museum Jena, historical images from museum collections, private archives, and photo clubs encounter current image practices from social media.
Photography between memory and everyday life
Photography appears not only as a technical process or artistic medium but as a cultural practice. Images preserve personal memories, document social change, and shape people's relationship with their city. The exhibition asks what photographs reveal about Jena, its residents, and the time of their creation.
From analog photo clubs to digital image worlds
The curation spans from the beginnings of amateur photography through the photo clubs of the GDR to today's smartphone and social media images. Analog prints, private image series, and digital visual languages enter an exciting dialogue. Different formats, materials, and aesthetic decisions make the transformation of photographic seeing immediately experienceable.
UNIFOK Jena and the culture of photographic seeing
A special focus is on the long-established photo club UNIFOK Jena e.V., which has shaped the city's photographic scene since the 1960s. Open archives and selected works provide insights into the photographic work of amateur photographers in the GDR. An accompanying publication documents the development of the association and the importance of communal work observation.
Research, urban history, and cultural education
The special exhibition is part of a nationwide research and transfer project on amateur and everyday photography. Participants include 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.
Accompanying events and participatory formats expand the art experience. In the photo competition Discover Jena – my favorite place or view, visitors can contribute their own perspectives on the city. Thus, the exhibition itself becomes a lively archive of shared perception.
Art experience between intimacy and contemporary history
The exhibition atmosphere thrives on the interplay between historical photographs, private image testimonies, and contemporary social media works. Familiar everyday scenes appear new, personal images gain social significance, and the aesthetic experience connects photo art with urban history and contemporary culture.
Conclusion: Visitors can expect a knowledgeable curated exhibition about images that connect people, preserve memories, and make social changes visible. Those who want to understand how photography shapes our seeing, thinking, and remembering should definitely experience this special art experience live at the City Museum Jena.
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- Website: https://www.stadtmuseum-jena.de/de/1041194
