What are the opening hours on the event day?

The Fridericianum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursdays until 8 p.m. On 26.03.2026, the hours are therefore 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Are there public tours of the exhibition?

Yes, public tours take place regularly and are included in the admission. Specific dates can be found in the Fridericianum's event calendar.

What is the admission price and are there discounts?

Admission costs 6 euros, reduced 4 euros. Admission is free on Wednesdays; children and adolescents up to 18 years have free admission.

Is the exhibition accessible to people with disabilities?

Yes, access is via ramps and elevators; there are accessible restrooms. Seat cushions can be borrowed free of charge.

Is photography allowed in the exhibition?

Photography for private purposes without flash, tripod, or selfie stick is permitted. Individual works may be excluded; observe the signs on site.

How do I best travel there and where can I park?

Take trams 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8 to the Friedrichsplatz stop. Parking is available in the nearby Friedrichsplatz underground garage.

Catherine Opie in Kassel: Experience portraits, protests, and poetic spaces at Fridericianum now

Name: Catherine Opie: The pause that dreams against erasure
Start: 2026-03-26T12:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-03-26T21:00:00+01:00
Location: Fridericianum

First German Opie solo at Fridericianum: A photographic echo against forgetting

With The pause that dreams against erasure, the Fridericianum presents the first institutional solo exhibition by Catherine Opie in Germany – in parallel to her museum show at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Over three decades of artistic practice unfold as an intense artistic experience: Portraits of queer communities, political protest images, and landscapes as resonating spaces of identity enter into a precisely curated dialogue with the architecture of the historic building.

Work Observation: Portrait, Protest, Landscape

Opie's oeuvre connects documentary photography with art historical reflection. Earlier portrait series on LGBTQUIA+ scenes, iconic self-portraits, and city and landscape images show how community, body, and space make social influences visible. Series on Black Lives Matter and protest marches of the Trump era expand this aesthetic experience with a clear societal address. Meanwhile, her visual language remains succinct: strict compositions, finely nuanced light, detailed surfaces.

Exhibition Atmosphere: Dialogue with the House on Friedrichsplatz

Developed for Kassel, the exhibition reacts to the proportions and sightlines of the Fridericianum. Large formats open up the space, intimate formats demand close consideration of the works. This curation strengthens the sensory perception of materiality, color, and spatial effect – photography as installation, as a space for thinking and experience.

Political Image Strategies: Visibility instead of Erasure

Opie's images contradict the erasure of identities. They update traditions of socially oriented photography from the 20th century and negotiate concepts such as belonging, family, and public space. The exhibition questions how images shape memory – and how alternative life plans become visible as realistic options.

Education and Mediation

Public tours are included with admission and deepen art historical contexts, image analysis, and curatorial decisions. Dates can be found in the event calendar of the Fridericianum.

Visitor Feedback

The reactions of the visitors are clear: The exhibition delights art lovers.

Instagram: A comment praises the poetic rigor of the portraits and the precise light management.
Facebook: One visitor emphasizes how compellingly protest and intimacy come together in one space.

Practical Information

Opening hours Tue–Sun 11–18, Thu 11–20. Admission 6 € / reduced 4 €, free on Wednesdays; children and adolescents up to 18 free. The house is accessible via ramps and lifts; barrier-free restrooms are available. Photography for private purposes without flash is permitted; individual works may be excluded.

Conclusion: The pause that dreams against erasure promises a concentrated, cleverly curated encounter with one of the most influential photographic positions of the present. Those seeking visual precision, societal relevance, and aesthetic density should experience this exhibition live.