Catherine Opie "The pause that dreams against erasure"

The Fridericianum presents the first institutional solo exhibition of Catherine Opie in Germany, parallel to the artist's show at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The presentation has been specifically designed by the artist for the Fridericianum, allowing the works to enter into a dialogue with the architecture and history of the historic building. Central groups of works from a period of over thirty years are showcased: from early portrait photographs in the LGBTQIA* communities, to photographic series that explore landscapes as resonant spaces for identity, hopes, and traumas, to documentaries of movements like Black Lives Matter or protest marches in the context of Donald Trump's presidency. The questions of what defines a person, which influences shape them into what characterizes them, how a detachment from determining societal influences is possible, and which alternative life models could be realistic options, form the central framework for Catherine Opie's work. Since the early 1990s, the artist has been working on a complex body of work that includes predominantly photographs, but also films, art books, and installations. Opie draws on the traditions of socially oriented photography of the 20th century and subjects them to a far-sighted, empathic updating. In doing so, she establishes her own visual language and aesthetics, making her – along with the societal relevance of her themes – one of the most influential positions of the present.