Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation presents two new exhibitions

As exhibition partner and sponsor of the fourth international triennial RAY Photography Projects 2021 Frankfurt/Rhein-Main, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation presents two new exhibitions. "Us and Them" takes up this year's theme of the triennial, ideologies, and shows four photographic positions that deal with identity formation through demarcation. At the same time, the exhibition of the four finalists of the "Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2021" can be seen. Both presentations will be shown until 19 September 2021 at Deutsche Börse's corporate headquarters, The Cube, in Frankfurt/Eschborn.

"Us and Them"

"Us and Them" is dedicated to various communities whose identity formation follows the principle of demarcation and thus also that of exclusion. The mechanisms used to create a sense of belonging, strength and control range from the establishment of comprehensive security systems to the creation of myths and the generation of enemy images that need to be fought. On display are works by the artists Máté Bartha, Eddo Hartmann, Paula Markert and Salvatore Vitale.

In his series "Kontakt" from 2018, Máté Bartha (*1987, Hungary) deals with military summer camps in Hungary for children and young people between the ages of 10 and 18. There they camp out in the open air, hike, sing together, but also receive military training with replica weapons. His works show how the girls and boys are taught camaraderie and patriotism as well as the feeling of belonging to a strong community.
Working as a photographer in North Korea is almost impossible. Ruled by an aggressive leader, the country controls and censors not only all information coming into the country, but also that going out. Nevertheless, between 2014 and 2017, Eddo Hartmann (*1973, Netherlands) visited North Korea. officially visited North Korea four times between 2014 and 2017 and photographed it in the capital Pyongyang. The photographs of his project "Setting the Stage" show a city of millions, charged with imposing symbolism and built according to the socialist model, which not only appears cold and deserted, but above all serves as a curious stage set for the self-created myth of the authoritarian regime.

The "National Socialist Underground" (NSU) killed nine people in Germany between 2000 and 2007 for racist motives and committed numerous other crimes. It was not until 2013 that the trial of the right-wing extremist terrorist group, which had long remained undiscovered, began. At that time, the Hamburg photographer Paula Markert (*1982, Germany) started her project "A Journey through Germany. The NSU series of murders". In her work, she documents people and places connected to the group, creating a multi-layered picture of the inconceivable events and their processing, which is still criticised today, partly also by the state institutions.

Those who think of Switzerland usually have the image of a peaceful Alpine idyll in the heart of Europe in their minds. In the publication "How to Secure a Country" by Salvatore Vitale (*1986, Italy), however, the country also reveals itself as a highly militarised state, permeated by a far-reaching security system and thinking. In his long-term visual research, Vitale looks at how this is revealed in the way his adopted country deals with military border security, IT infrastructure, cyber-crime and terrorism.

Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2021

As exhibition partner and sponsor of the fourth international triennial RAY Photography Projects 2021 Frankfurt/Rhein-Main, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation presents two new exhibitions. "Us and Them" takes up this year's theme of the triennial, ideologies, and shows four photographic positions that deal with identity formation through demarcation. At the same time, the exhibition of the four finalists of the "Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2021" can be seen. Both presentations will be shown from 5 June to 19 September 2021 at Deutsche Börse's corporate headquarters, The Cube, in Frankfurt/Eschborn.

On its exhibition space on the second floor, the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation will simultaneously show works by Poulomi Basu, Alejandro Cartagena, Cao Fei and Zineb Sedira, the finalists of this year's Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize. The exhibition presents the four nominated artists, whose bold and wide-ranging projects cover geographical areas from Algeria to China and deal with themes of both local and global significance.

They range from Poulomi Basu's uncompromisingly complex depiction of conflict in central India and Alejandro Cartagena's scathing critique of the impact of home ownership and real estate development projects in northern Mexico, to the enormous impact of technology on personal experience in Cao Fei's dystopian multimedia productions and Zineb Sedira's autofictional exploration of memory, culture and belonging. All nominated projects have one thing in common: they use photography to convey subjective truths and to question political realities. Artists and projects that have made a significant contribution to photography in Europe - in the form of an exhibition or publication - in the previous twelve months are nominated for the prestigious award, which the Foundation presents annually together with the Photographers' Gallery in London.

Curated by Anna Dannemann, the exhibition will be on parallel display at the Photographers' Gallery in London from 25 June to 26 September 2021. This year marks its 50th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of the Photography Prize. The winner of the £30,000 award will be announced there on 9 September 2021.

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