Temporary Exhibitions
Thomas Kellner: “Facets of the City”
The exhibition presents the series Facets of the City. Homage to August Sander, in which Kellner showcases more than 60 photographic portraits. These works are part of an ongoing project that began in 2023, through which the artist aims to photograph approximately 1% of the population of the German city of Siegen, around 1,056 people. The selection is based on demographic criteria such as gender, age, migration background and educational level. The project seeks to create a documentary micro-census that reflects the city’s social diversity, without staging or manipulation, referring to the photographic tradition of August Sander who, at the beginning of the 20th century, created a landmark visual representation of society through his work People of the Twentieth Century.
As diverse and multifaceted as the individuals portrayed, the targeted visitor community is invited to engage in a dialogue with different life realities, educational levels and social contexts. The portraits challenge viewers to adopt new perspectives and reflect on questions related to identity and belonging within an urban society. The project highlights the collective urban spirit, offering a snapshot of the social strata formed by those who contribute to the life of the city through their professions, roles and abilities, rather than focusing solely on the individual.
The central question behind the project is: What defines us as a society? Kellner provides a visual response, creating a contemporary panorama of urban life. The clothing and surroundings of the subjects offer an insight into their lives and personalities, allowing viewers to identify with them and understand the complexity and diversity of urban realities.
With a clear photographic language that draws on the historical and artistic legacy of August Sander, Kellner positions his work within a broader cultural and social context. As in Sander’s works, Kellner’s portraits capture biography, group affiliation, the spirit of the time and individual expressions through posture, gestures and facial expression. The life realities depicted extend beyond the local context and open the view toward global perspectives.
Thomas Kellner was born in 1966 in Bonn, Germany. Between 1989 and 1996, he studied art and social sciences at the University of Siegen. Throughout his career, he has combined artistic practice with teaching, serving as a visiting professor at Justus Liebig University in Giessen (2003–2004), studio lecturer at the University of Paderborn (2007–2008), and in 2015, he taught at both Justus Liebig University in Giessen and the University of Koblenz-Landau. He currently lives and works in Siegen, Germany.
His photographic work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions internationally. Among the institutions that have hosted his works are: State Museum Oldenburg (2024); Museu Nacional da República in Brasília (2024); New Orleans Museum of Art – NOMA (2023); Klompching Gallery in New York (2021); Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, D.C. (2020); Centro Andaluz de la Fotografía in Almería (2019); Conny Dietzschold Gallery in Sydney and the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest (2018); Reykjavik Museum of Photography and the Fox Talbot Museum in England (2017); Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (2013); Lishui Museum of Photography in China (2012), as well as other prestigious galleries and museums in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Grenoble and Winchester.
His works are included in major public collections such as the Fox Talbot Museum (United Kingdom); George Eastman Museum in Rochester (USA); Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Lishui Museum of Photography (China); Art Institute of Chicago; The Baltimore Museum of Art and Worcester Art Museum (USA).
