Fotografie
13. May 2023 - 13. August 2023
Johanna-Maria Fritz: Like a Bird
Circus culture in Islamic countries
The scenes captured by the photographer in Afghanistan, Dagestan, the Gaza Strip, in India, Indonesia, Iran or Senegal are surreal and dreamlike. These predominantly Muslim countries are where Fritz found a circus culture that creates important moments of freedom and self-expression in otherwise dire circumstances, and that is the manifestation of a deeply rooted longing for peace and liberty.
Staying well clear of romantic stereotypes and images that too often emphasise the precarious living conditions of circus artists, Johanna-Maria Fritz uses her camera to open a view into a social microcosm otherwise inaccessible to outsiders. Like A Bird shows circuses that exist within difficult conditions – be it because of armed conflict, or because of very restrictive religious contexts. While circus schools in Afghanistan provide access to education and a safe space to strengthen their self-consciousness for children and especially young girls, the circus in the Gaza Strip is a refuge for its members and their audience, where they can escape the perils of their every-day-lives, at least temporarily. The photographs from Iran, which subtly subvert the stereotypical role models propagated by the government, clearly illustrate that circus is not only a welcome distraction, but always a reflection of social conditions.
With sensitive portraits, orchestrated performance and documentary photography, Johanna-Maria Fritz presents communities who preserve and present their traditions as well as their hopes for a better future in the face of social change and political crises.
Biography Johanna-Maria Fritz
Johanna-Maria Fritz was born in Baden-Baden in 1994 and studied photography at the renowned Ostkreuzschule in Berlin, the city where she now lives – when she is in Germany. For the past decade, Fritz has been travelling to different regions, to document events, ways of life, and people that are often overlooked.
Curator: Daniela Yvonne Baumann
Opening: Friday, 12 May 2023, 7pm
Sonntag, 13. August, 14 Uhr: Johanna-Maria Fritz im Gespräch mit Kuratorin Daniela Yvonne Baumann
Zum Finale der Ausstellung kommt Fotografin Johanna-Maria Fritz ins Stadthaus! Um 14 Uhr findet ein Gespräch zwischen ihr und Kuratorin Daniela Yvonne Baumann auf Ebene 3 statt. Der Eintritt ist frei.