Corina Gertz THREADS OF LIFE

April 25 to November 1, 2026   As part of the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 – Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a better life   As part of the 13. Darmstadt Photography Days

The Kunstforum der TU Darmstadt is showing parts of her ongoing series »Das abgewandte Porträt« (The Averted Portrait), on which the artist has been working worldwide for years, in the exhibition »Corina Gertz. THREADS OF LIFE.«

Around 40 large-format, weatherproof photographs by Corina Gertz will surround the entire moat of Darmstadt's Science Castle for the first time. They visually represent diversity, inclusion, and democracy—core values of a democratic society.

Corina Gertz photographs women in traditional clothing around the world. Her focus is on the quieter side of portraiture, the rear view. The individual remains hidden, with only the clothing conveying information.

»The garments tell of past craftsmanship, origin, family and social status and thus also reveal something about the identity of the wearer, without foregrounding her personal individuality.«

Corina Gertz

Sculptural and painterly, magnificent fabrics and precious embroidery shine against a deep black background, captured photographically in a clear and expressive image composition. The portraits tell of traditional knowledge, conventions, customs, and practices. They reflect Gertz's interest in aesthetic, political, social, and cultural contexts.

In an extensive supporting program, these themes are linked through interdisciplinary events such as lectures, panels, and science & art talks with scientists from TU Darmstadt and actors from the region's cultural landscape.

Reference to the topic World Design Capital Frankfurt RhineMain 2026

Corina Gertz's photographic works are closely related to the leitmotif of World Design Capital Frankfurt Rhine Main 2026 – »Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a better life.« Her series »Das abgewandte Porträt« (The Averted Portrait) is a powerful visual plea for diversity, cultural memory, and respect – central values of a democratic society.

Through her photographic exploration of traditional clothing and textile craft techniques of ethnic origin, Gertz makes a conscious statement against uniformity and cultural homogenization. Her works celebrate cultural identity as a foundation of democratic design – they make visible what is often overlooked or marginalized. In an age of increasing global standardization, Gertz emphasizes the importance of individual and collective forms of expression that enrich our social atmospheres and contribute to a better, more just life.

Gertz's photography creates spaces for reflection—visual »atmospheres« that raise questions about belonging, visibility, and appreciation of cultural difference. In doing so, she links aesthetic practice with social engagement and lends the main theme of WDC 2026 a poetic-critical dimension: design as the conscious shaping of social and cultural spaces in which democracy is lived and further developed.

By making textile traditions visible as carriers of identity and history, Gertz expands our understanding of design beyond the object itself—towards the shaping of social conditions that enable and promote diversity. Her works thus make a concrete artistic contribution to the question of how democratic atmospheres can be created in which people feel seen, respected, and represented.

Further information on the website of the city archive

Corina Gertz lives in Düsseldorf and works worldwide. Her photographic practice developed from her studies in fashion and costume design, and for many years she has been dedicated to depicting traditional clothing as an expression of cultural identity. Her series »Das abgewandte Porträt« (The Averted Portrait) focuses on textile crafts of ethnic origin and social identity as an expression of cultural diversity, forming a conscious counterpoint to spreading uniformity—an artistic plea for diversity, remembrance, and respect.

Corina Gertz has established herself as a prominent voice in contemporary photography through scholarships, awards, teaching assignments, and exhibitions. In 2022, she was nominated for the DA! Art Award, a prize that honors artistic contributions with social relevance. Her work is compelling not only visually, but also in terms of its depth and consistency of content. Gertz's works have been exhibited at the Lianzhou Photo Museum (China), the Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, the Museum Kunst der Westküste on Föhr, the Shanghai Art Museum (China), and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (United Kingdom), among others.

In 2025, as part of Chemnitz's year as European Capital of Culture, her photographs will be featured in the European art and sculpture trail »Purple Path« (Siebenschlehener Pochwerk) and in the exhibition »Zwiegespräche« (Dialogues) at the German Textile Museum in Krefeld. Her works are part of international curatorial contexts dealing with gender, textile culture, and global representation.

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