When does the exhibition run?

The exhibition runs from September 11, 2026, to October 11, 2026.

Where is the exhibition taking place?

At Kunsthaus Göttingen, Düstere Straße 7, 37073 Göttingen.

What is the admission fee?

The regular admission fee is 8 euros, reduced 5 euros. For this exhibition, pay as you wish also applies.

Do I need a ticket in advance?

No, according to Kunsthaus Göttingen, prior ticket purchase is not necessary.

Is the Kunsthaus barrier-free?

Yes, the visit is also possible with a wheelchair. In case of special needs, prior contact is recommended.

Is there a supporting program?

Yes, planned are among others a book presentation for the opening and a film matinee on September 12, 2026.

Martin Schoeller presents portraits full of dignity, intimacy, and presence in Göttingen

Name: Martin Schoeller - Drag Queens and other Stories
Start: 2026-09-11T20:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-11T20:00:00+02:00
Location: Kunsthaus Göttingen

Martin Schoeller in Göttingen: Portrait photography between intimacy, dignity, and visibility

With Drag Queens and other Stories, the Kunsthaus Göttingen presents from September 11 to October 11, 2026, a concise exhibition of one of the most internationally significant portrait photographers of our time. Martin Schoeller condenses the intensity of the gaze in his works into an artistic experience that reexamines classical portrait photography and makes societal attributions visible.

The radical intimacy of the Close Up series

At the center is the famous series Close Up, with which Schoeller has significantly influenced contemporary portrait photography. His frontally lit images reduce distance and focus on precision: skin, facial expressions, wrinkles, eyes, and the smallest shifts in the face become the visual language of a quiet but powerful encounter. Prominent and unknown people appear on equal footing. This equal treatment gives the photographs their democratic tension.

Drag Queens as a portrait of self-design and presence

The title-giving work group Drag Queens expands Schoeller's approach to questions of identity, performance, and visibility. Here, drag is not seen as a decorative spectacle but as an artistic form of expression and a conscious design of self-image. Each portrait honors individuality, elegance, and the freedom to creatively design roles. Thus, an exhibition emerges that combines aesthetic experience with cultural-historical relevance.

Portraits and Death Row Exonerees: Humanity as a visual center

The series Portraits and Death Row Exonerees also expand the view of Schoeller's far-reaching interest in humanity. While the well-known faces of the present are reinterpreted in their presence, the portraits of wrongfully convicted and later released individuals lend dignity, resilience, and historical urgency to their biographies. This work group is not just photography but a visual processing of justice, memory, and vulnerability.

Curating, space, and mediation in Kunsthaus Göttingen

Curated by Anke Degenhard, the exhibition at Kunsthaus Göttingen unfolds a multifaceted panorama of human identity. The house sees itself as an exhibition space for works on paper, photography, and new media and regularly offers tours, educational programs, and events. A photo book as well as a supporting program with a book presentation and film matinee will also be published alongside the exhibition. For visitors, an exhibition experience is created that brings together art observation and cultural education.

Conclusion: Drag Queens and other Stories is an exhibition about faces, stories, and societal perception. Anyone wanting to experience photography as a mirror of presence, identity, and dignity should definitely visit this exhibition in Göttingen live.