At the invitation of the Art Foundation DZ BANK, the exhibition A Show of Affection – Collection Constellation 2 will present the collection of the Fotomuseum Winterthur in the exhibition hall at Platz der Republik. Fotomuseum Winterthur is taking the opportunity presented by the institution’s thirtieth anniversary to examine its own collection, with a selection of artworks providing an insight into the museum’s collecting activities. On display are works by a total of 16 different photographers and artists, a mix of well-known names and new discoveries. The non-linear way in which the exhibition is presented highlights the fact that the (progressive) development of a collection is influenced by a variety of different factors. These include the exhibition programme, thematic focuses, curatorial interests, social issues and photography’s own process of evolution as a medium and body of practices.

The exhibition homes in on the collection’s idiosyncrasies, distinctive qualities and thematic focuses, while also scrutinising museum collecting practices per se. This probing of the collection also looks at gaps and lacunae that are made apparent by the museum’s critical self-assessment and at works that are institutionally challenging. A Show of Affection offers an alternative to the classical collection exhibition and is, not least, an expression of an institutional approach: Fotomuseum Winterthur is eminently (self-)critical – and yet still has a sense of affection for its own collection.