When does the exhibition take place?

The exhibition is scheduled for 16.07.2026 and, according to the press kit of the Fridericianum, runs until 19.07.2026.

What is the admission fee?

The regular admission fee is 6 Euros, reduced 4 Euros. Admission is free on Wednesdays.

Are there guided tours?

Yes, the Fridericianum regularly offers public tours as well as bookable group tours and workshops.

Is the museum accessible?

Yes, the Fridericianum describes itself as an open house with ramp access, elevators, and accessible restrooms.

How can I get there by public transport?

The Fridericianum is located near the Friedrichsplatz stop. Lines 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 stop there.

Can I take photos in the exhibition?

Information pending. The exact photography rules should be checked in the house rules or on-site.

Catherine Opie in Kassel: Photography, Identity, and Resistance at Fridericianum

Name: Catherine Opie: The pause that dreams against erasure
Start: 2026-07-16T13:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-07-19T20:00:00+02:00
Location: Fridericianum

Catherine Opie at Fridericianum: Photographic images of identity, resistance, and belonging

The Fridericianum presents The pause that dreams against erasure, the first institutional solo exhibition of Catherine Opie in Germany. The presentation developed specifically for Kassel brings significant bodies of work spanning more than three decades into direct dialogue with the architecture and history of the institution. Featuring photographs, films, art books, and installations, it interrogates identity, visibility, and social conditioning with extraordinary precision. ([fridericianum.org](https://fridericianum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/260129_Pressemappe_CO_EN.pdf?utm_source=openai))

An artistic experience between portrait, landscape, and protest

Opie's work reveals its strength in the tension between intimate contemplation and political presence. Her early portrait photographs from LGBTQI* communities, her landscape series, and the documentations of Black Lives Matter or protest marches during Donald Trump's presidency show photography as testimony and as an artistic form of resistance. The curation at Fridericianum emphasizes this connection. ([fridericianum.org](https://fridericianum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/260129_Pressemappe_CO_EN.pdf?utm_source=openai))

An image language with art historical depth

Catherine Opie has been one of the defining voices in contemporary photography since the early 1990s. Her works combine documentary accuracy with poetic condensation while also drawing upon the tradition of portrait painting and socially oriented photography. The National Portrait Gallery describes her portraits as influenced by the language of painting and the European Old Netherlandish and Old Masters. It is precisely from this that the unique visual aesthetics arise, making Opie internationally influential. ([whitney.org](https://whitney.org/artists/4113?utm_source=openai))

Fridericianum as a resonance space

The historical building at Friedrichsplatz becomes not just a venue but a participant in this exhibition. The works respond to spatial axes, light, and visual relationships, thereby sharpening the aesthetic experience. Those who walk through the halls experience not just an exhibition but a concentrated artistic experience that translates questions of belonging, representation, and memory into a compelling form. ([fridericianum.org](https://fridericianum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/260129_Pressemappe_CO_EN.pdf?utm_source=openai))

Education, mediation, and visitation

The Fridericianum regularly supplements its exhibitions with public tours and bookable tours and workshops. The educational offerings are aimed at individual visitors, groups, school classes, and children. This makes the exhibition particularly attractive for art education formats and cultural education. ([fridericianum.org](https://fridericianum.org/visit/))

In the end, the strong impression of an exhibition that does not illustrate the present but makes it visible remains. Catherine Opie condenses personal and societal experiences into images of great tranquility and formal clarity. Those interested in contemporary photography, queer history, political image cultures, and curatorially precise installations should not miss the opportunity to experience this exhibition live in Kassel. ([fridericianum.org](https://fridericianum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/260129_Pressemappe_CO_EN.pdf?utm_source=openai))