From the water

Water is the fundamental prerequisite for life and gives rise to enjoyment in leisure, culture, and sport. At the same time, however, water is also a tool of power, a commodity, and an object of speculation – and in some cases, life-threatening. The great Hamburg storm surge of 1962, the flooding of the Ahr Valley in 2021, the fate of the people attempting to reach Europe across the Mediterranean in boats, and the threat to our ecosystem from water scarcity all demonstrate that this "blue gold" both unites and divides.

Water plays a particularly important role for the people of Hamburg and Northern Germany in general. The Elbe River, the port, canals, and tributaries have shaped the cityscape for centuries, contributing to growth and prosperity. In " From Water, " 58 photographers from the professional association FREELENS eV , spanning the Hamburg metropolitan region, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, explore this contrast. The exhibition tells the story of water's significance as a habitat, a natural environment, and a cultural space. It focuses on cold-water surfers in the Lofoten Islands, peatlands as climate protectors, and timeless seascapes, as well as sea rescue operations in the central Mediterranean and the history of borders along the Baltic Sea.

With two works generated using artificial intelligence (AI), the FREELENS regional group also draws attention to a new challenge in the field of photography. New questions arise regarding the use and reception of this technology by viewers as well as professional photographers. Therefore, the exhibition will include discussion panels with representatives of the regional association, who will explore the value, benefits, and future of photography.

The exhibition will be presented from September 23 to October 23 in the open-air area on the second floor of Hamburg's creative hub JUPITER – the former Karstadt building on Mönckebergstraße. In addition, selected works will be displayed in public spaces via networked, digital city communication screens provided by the company Ströer.

The opening reception will take place on Friday, September 22nd at 7 pm (free admission).

Participating photographers:
Valeska Achenbach, Marlene Apmann, Sven Becker, Peter Bialobrzeski, Frieder Blickle,
Katja Brandt, Sonja Brüggemann, Peter Bruns, Hans-Jürgen Burkhard, Astrid
Doerenbruch, Barbara Dombrowski, Melanie Dreysse, Thomas Ebert, Gisela Floto,
Rüdiger Glatz, Kai-Uwe Gundlach, Kirsten Haarmann, Eva Häberle, Gerald Hänel,
Antje-Katrin Hansen, Markus Heimbach, Nicolaus Herrmann, Julia Hoersch, Frederika
Hoffmann, Kati Jurischka, Christian Kaiser, Nicole Keller, Nico Krauss, Tom Krausz,
Frank Krems, Joy Kröger, Lars Krüger, Nele Martensen, Jörg Modrow, Frank Molter,
Claas Möller, Heiner Müller-Elsner, Heike Ollertz, Anne Oschatz, Michael Penner,
Henriette Pogoda, Michael Rauhe, Pat Scheidemann, Matthias Schlief, Harald Schmitt,
Hinrich Schultze, Frank Siemers, Sabine Skiba, Bertram Solcher, Achim Sperber,
Kristina Steiner, Olaf Tamm, Markus Tollhopf, Andreas Wemheuer, Georg Wendt, Wim
Westfield, Manfred Witt, Sibylle Zettler

The exhibition is accompanied and curated by Sebastian Lux, head of the F.C. Gundlach Foundation.

Duration: September 23 to October 23, 2023

Location: JUPITER, 2nd floor, Mönckebergstraße 2-4, 20095 Hamburg

Admission free!