Catherine Opie's First German Solo Exhibition at Fridericianum Kassel

The Fridericianum in Kassel is presenting Catherine Opie's inaugural institutional solo exhibition in Germany, titled 'The Pause That Dreams Against Erasure.' This comprehensive survey showcases over three decades of the American artist's photography, film, and installation work. The exhibition runs from February 14 to July 19, 2026, at the Documenta venue on Friedrichsplatz in Kassel. Opie, born in 1961 in Sandusky, Ohio and based in Los Angeles, explores themes of identity formation, social norms, and alternative ways of living through her practice. Her work engages with 20th-century socially engaged photography traditions while developing a distinct visual language that has established her as a significant contemporary artist. The exhibition features early portraits from LGBTQIA+ communities, landscape series examining identity and trauma, and documentation of political movements including Black Lives Matter and protests during Donald Trump's presidency. Opie taught photography at UCLA from 2001 to 2023 and has participated in major exhibitions including the Whitney Biennial and Istanbul Biennial. The Kassel presentation is designed as a site-specific installation that responds to the Fridericianum's architecture and history, opening concurrently with her exhibition at London's National Portrait Gallery. Support for the exhibition comes from the Rudolf Augstein Stiftung and Maria Seferian.