RAY 2021

Qiana Mestrich (*1977, US), Manslaughter 2ND, Tompkins County, NY;aus der Serie Namesake, Group 2, 2013 © Qiana Mestrich, Courtesy: sepiaEYE Gallery

Ideologies

03.06.–12.09.2021

The grand promise of globalization—to bring greater prosperity to people around the world—is giving way to growing skepticism. Human-induced climate change, the overexploitation of nature, the power and dependence of societies on large tech corporations, and the steady concentration of wealth in the hands of a few are leading not only to global migration flows but also to growing frustration, resulting in an increasing polarization of public debate. Democratic structures are being called into question, and current models of autocratic governance in the East and West are gaining more and more supporters. Flanked by targeted communication strategies, the ideologies and belief systems with these developments are disseminated as the basis and justification for the ideas, beliefs, and values of an individual, a group, or a state—whether through the spoken or written word, and even more so through images. The RAY 2021 Ideologies exhibitions present critically reflective art that questions its own foundations of creation and presentation. The viewer’s identification with the artwork is here determined by disruption, friction, exaggeration, and the production of something new, inhibiting the manipulative fusion of image and viewer. The works challenge us to view images critically, to analyze and understand them. Surrounded by ever more images, this ability is more important than ever.

Curatorial Team

Anne-Marie Beckmann (Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, Eschborn), Christina Leber (DZ BANK Kunstsammlung, now Kunststiftung DZ BANK, Frankfurt), Alexandra Lechner (independent curator), Celina Lunsford (Fotografie Forum Frankfurt), Susanne Pfeffer and Anna Sailer (MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt), Matthias Wagner K (Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt)

Artists

Akinbode Akinbiyi (*1946 UK/NG), Máté Bartha (*1987 HU), Johanna Diehl (*1977 DE), Yagazie Emezi (*1989 NG), Ja’Tovia Gary (*1984 US), Eddo Hartmann (*1973 NL), Paula Markert (*1982 DE), Qiana Mestrich (*1977 US), Mohau Modiasakeng (*1986 ZA), Yves Sambu (*1980 CD), Adrian Sauer (*1976 DE), Salvatore Vitale (*1986 IT)

Exhibition Venues

Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, Fotografie Forum Frankfurt, Kunststiftung DZ BANK, Museum Angewandte Kunst, MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst

Partner Venues

Historisches Museum Frankfurt, Museum Giersch der Goethe-Universität, Kunstforum der TU Darmstadt, Kunst- und Kulturstiftung Opelvillen Rüsselsheim, Marta Hoepffner-Gesellschaft für Fotografie e.V., Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden

Festival

Following the official opening of the RAY Triennial of Photography 2021 on June 2, 2021, the festival events were postponed until September 1–3 due to the pandemic. International artists, curators, and experts from interdisciplinary fields were invited to explore and discuss the theme Ideologies through lectures and talks.

Support

RAY Ideologies was made possible by: Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain, Kulturamt Stadt Frankfurt am Main, Museumsufer Frankfurt

Supported by: Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, Crespo Foundation, Dr. Marschner Stiftung, U.S. Mission Germany, The Kingdom of the Netherlands, represented by the Dutch Embassy in Berlin, Fujifilm