(In)Visibility of Violence
Opening: 22. August 2025, 7 pm
Duration: 23.08. – 02.11.2025
Curated by Theresa Deichert, Dr. Larissa Fuhrmann and Dr. Nadia Ismail
Omnipresent in the media and seemingly endless, warfare shapes our visual habits and dominates public perception. Beyond the starkly visible violence, such as the brutal destruction of buildings and cultural heritage, images of civilian casualties, or the never-ending streams of refugees, this exhibition also focuses on the often invisible dimensions of violence. Structural, psychological, and gender-based violence, particularly against women and minorities, as well as the resulting trauma and emotional suffering, frequently remain hidden. Ideological and religious hatred, passed down through generations and disproportionately affecting women, is often unseen or deliberately suppressed. Shame and societal stigma frequently protect perpetrators, while the consequences for those affected are profound and long-lasting.
(In)Visibility of Violence seeks to explore these unequal power structures and the visual regimes that shape the perception of violence: What societal, political, and media mechanisms make violence visible or invisible? How is violence documented, instrumentalized, or censored? What creative and artistic approaches can render violence perceptible? How do artists employ strategies such as alienation, censorship, documentation, or spectacularization to depict or obscure violence?
The exhibition builds on the collaboration initiated in October 2024 with the Research Center for Transformations of Political Violence (TraCe), which began with the dialogue panel “Depictions of Excessive Use of Force – Between Disturbance and Attraction” at Kunsthalle.
Participating Artists:
Hiba Alansari (1983, Libya) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Berlin. Born in Libya and raised in Syria, her work explores political violence, trauma, and memory through sculptures, performances, and installations.
Moath al-Alwi (1977, Yemen) was detained at Guantánamo Bay from 2002 until January 2025. During his imprisonment, he created detailed ship models and reliefs from recycled materials such as wooden sticks, cardboard, and fabric, which serve as expressions of hope and resilience in the face of state violence.
Lucinda Devlin (1947, USA) is an American photographer known for her sober, detached color photographs documenting institutional spaces. Her series The Omega Suites depicts execution chambers in the United States. Devlin’s work is included in major museum collections such as MoMA and the Whitney Museum.
Johanna-Maria Fritz (1994, Germany) combines documentary and artistic approaches in a powerful way. As a photographer and journalist, she travels to conflict zones and areas of crisis to document the lives of affected individuals and communities.
Johannah Herr (1987, USA) is an American artist who explores themes such as consumerism, capitalism, nationalism, imperialism, and state violence. Using textiles, installations, and mixed-media works, she critically questions societal structures.
Jonas Höschl (1995, Germany) is a German conceptual artist and photographer whose work investigates political themes through media such as printmaking, video, and installation. He has been awarded the Bavarian Art Promotion Prize.
Šejla Kamerić (1976, Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a Bosnian artist whose multidisciplinary work addresses war trauma, identity, and social justice. She is known for her work Bosnian Girl, which is based on her experiences during the Bosnian War.
Kresiah Mukwazhi (1992, Zimbabwe) is a Zimbabwean artist whose practice engages with (post-)colonial and feminist themes and the visibility of women in patriarchal societies. She works with installations, performances, and textile art.
Rabih Mroué (1967, Lebanon) is a Lebanese artist, director, and actor living in Berlin. His work combines theater, video, and performance to reflect on political and social issues. His piece The Pixelated Revolution was shown at dOCUMENTA (13) in 2012.
Thomson & Craighead (Jon Thomson, 1969, and Alison Craighead, 1971, UK) are a British artist duo who have been working together since 1993. They use digital media, video, and internet art to explore contemporary issues such as surveillance and data culture.
Helena Uambembe (1994, South Africa) is a South African artist whose work engages with the history of the 32nd Battalion of the South African army, to which her father belonged. She works with textiles, printmaking, and performance to explore personal and collective memory.
Emmanuel Van der Auwera (1982, Belgium) is a Belgian artist working with video, sculpture, and printmaking. His work investigates the role of images in today’s media society and how visual media shape the construction of reality.
(In)Visibility of Violence seeks to explore these unequal power structures and the visual regimes that shape the perception of violence: What societal, political, and media mechanisms make violence visible or invisible? How is violence documented, instrumentalized, or censored? What creative and artistic approaches can render violence perceptible? How do artists employ strategies such as alienation, censorship, documentation, or spectacularization to depict or obscure violence?
The exhibition builds on the collaboration initiated in October 2024 with the Research Center for Transformations of Political Violence (TraCe), which began with the dialogue panel “Depictions of Excessive Use of Force – Between Disturbance and Attraction” at Kunsthalle.
Participating Artists:
Hiba Alansari (1983, Libya) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Berlin. Born in Libya and raised in Syria, her work explores political violence, trauma, and memory through sculptures, performances, and installations.
Moath al-Alwi (1977, Yemen) was detained at Guantánamo Bay from 2002 until January 2025. During his imprisonment, he created detailed ship models and reliefs from recycled materials such as wooden sticks, cardboard, and fabric, which serve as expressions of hope and resilience in the face of state violence.
Lucinda Devlin (1947, USA) is an American photographer known for her sober, detached color photographs documenting institutional spaces. Her series The Omega Suites depicts execution chambers in the United States. Devlin’s work is included in major museum collections such as MoMA and the Whitney Museum.
Johanna-Maria Fritz (1994, Germany) combines documentary and artistic approaches in a powerful way. As a photographer and journalist, she travels to conflict zones and areas of crisis to document the lives of affected individuals and communities.
Johannah Herr (1987, USA) is an American artist who explores themes such as consumerism, capitalism, nationalism, imperialism, and state violence. Using textiles, installations, and mixed-media works, she critically questions societal structures.
Jonas Höschl (1995, Germany) is a German conceptual artist and photographer whose work investigates political themes through media such as printmaking, video, and installation. He has been awarded the Bavarian Art Promotion Prize.
Šejla Kamerić (1976, Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a Bosnian artist whose multidisciplinary work addresses war trauma, identity, and social justice. She is known for her work Bosnian Girl, which is based on her experiences during the Bosnian War.
Kresiah Mukwazhi (1992, Zimbabwe) is a Zimbabwean artist whose practice engages with (post-)colonial and feminist themes and the visibility of women in patriarchal societies. She works with installations, performances, and textile art.
Rabih Mroué (1967, Lebanon) is a Lebanese artist, director, and actor living in Berlin. His work combines theater, video, and performance to reflect on political and social issues. His piece The Pixelated Revolution was shown at dOCUMENTA (13) in 2012.
Thomson & Craighead (Jon Thomson, 1969, and Alison Craighead, 1971, UK) are a British artist duo who have been working together since 1993. They use digital media, video, and internet art to explore contemporary issues such as surveillance and data culture.
Helena Uambembe (1994, South Africa) is a South African artist whose work engages with the history of the 32nd Battalion of the South African army, to which her father belonged. She works with textiles, printmaking, and performance to explore personal and collective memory.
Emmanuel Van der Auwera (1982, Belgium) is a Belgian artist working with video, sculpture, and printmaking. His work investigates the role of images in today’s media society and how visual media shape the construction of reality.