When can I visit the exhibition?

The exhibition opens on July 1, 2026, at 11:00 AM and runs until July 19, 2026.

How much does admission cost?

Regular admission costs €6, reduced €4. Admission is free on Wednesdays.

Are there guided tours or educational offers?

Yes, Fridericianum offers public tours as well as booked guided tours and workshops. The offerings are tailored to different target groups.

Is Fridericianum accessible?

The building offers discounts for people with disabilities, assistance dogs are allowed, and staff provide support at the entrance if needed. Further information on accessibility is available on the museum's website.

How do I get there by public transport?

Fridericianum is accessible via the Friedrichsplatz stop with lines 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8.

Am I allowed to take photos in the exhibition?

There are no verified details available in the existing sources. It's best to check the house's guidelines directly before visiting.

Catherine Opie at Fridericianum: Photography, Politics, and Space unite

Name: Catherine Opie – The pause that dreams against erasure
Start: 2026-07-01T13:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-07-19T20:00:00+02:00
Location: Fridericianum

Catherine Opie at Fridericianum: Photography as a precise form of remembrance

With The pause that dreams against erasure, Fridericianum presents the first institutional solo exhibition of Catherine Opie in Germany. The presentation, developed specifically for Kassel, combines contemporary art, art history, and the unique spatial impact of the historic building into a striking artistic experience.

A portrait of community, identity, and resistance

Since the early 1990s, Catherine Opie has been creating a body of work that condenses photography, film, art books, and installations into a precise visual language. Her works emerge from an intensive examination of social realities: early portraits from LGBTQIA* communities, landscapes as resonance spaces for belonging and loss, as well as documentations of political movements such as Black Lives Matter shape her oeuvre. The artist draws on the tradition of socially engaged photography and brings it into the present with great sensitivity.

The space as a player

At Fridericianum, the exhibition unfolds a special exhibition atmosphere. Opie understands the presentation as a site-specific installation that enters into a dialogue with the architecture and history of the building. The historic building, one of the earliest public museums in Europe, thus becomes not only the venue but also an active component of the aesthetic experience. Image spaces, wall sequences, and sight lines enhance the impression of closeness, presence, and societal urgency.

Why this exhibition is important

Opie is considered one of the most influential positions in contemporary art. Her works combine formal rigor with political clarity, her photographs often intimate body and community images with a broad cultural-historical perspective. Particularly in Kassel, a city of international art debate, this exhibition gains additional radiance: it questions belonging, alternative life concepts, and what images can preserve in the social memory.

Those interested in contemporary art, photography, queer history, and curatorial practice will find an exhibition of high intellectual and emotional density here. A visit is definitely worth it, as this exhibition unfolds its full effect only through direct experience on site.