Farewell Photography

The biennale has addressed the major upheavals and changes in contemporary image culture. At seven exhibition venues in Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, Heidelberg and in public space, the curators and artists have explored issues of materiality and composition, forms of usage and appearance, and not least of all, the current social potential of photography. The title “Farewell Photography” alluded to the passing analogue era, for we now live in the age of “networked or algorithmic images” in which algorithms and computer programs organise and influence the appearance, location and dissemination of photography. The seven participating institutions have staged presentations that contrasted young, contemporary and often digital image productions with historical positions. More than sixty international artists had been invited to show their works, some of which were being specially developed for the biennale. Artistic interventions and performative formats have been presented at public venues in the cities.

Artistic director: Florian Ebner, Christin Müller
Curators: Fabian Knierim, Boaz Levin (IL), Kerstin Meincke, Kathrin Schönegg
Artists: Rosa Barba (IT), Natalie Bookchin (US), Kilian Breier (DE), Harun Farocki (CZ), Arno Gisinger (AT), Simon Gush (ZA), Alfredo Jaar (CL), Sven Johne (DE), Katia Kameli (FR), Eva und Franco Mattes (US/IT), Arwed Messmer (DE), Peter Miller (US), Naeem Mohaiemen (BD/US), Pétrel I Roumagnac (duo) (FR), Willem de Rooij (NL), Belit Sağ (NL/TR), Andrzej Steinbach (DE/PL), Wolfgang Tillmans (DE) and others

Participating institutions: Kunsthalle Mannheim, Zephyr – Raum für Fotografie, Port 25 Mannheim, Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, Kunstverein Ludwigshafen, Sammlung Prinzhorn, Kunstverein Heidelberg