As exhibition partner and sponsor of the fourth international triennial RAY Fotografieprojekte 2021 Frankfurt/Rhein-Main, the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation presents two new exhibitions. "Us and Them" takes up this year's triennial theme, Ideologies, and features four photographic positions that explore identity formation through demarcation.  At the same time, the exhibition features projects by the four finalists of the "Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2021". Both presentations will be on display at Deutsche Börse’s headquarters, the Cube, in Frankfurt/Eschborn from 5 June – 19 September 2021.

„Us and Them“

"Us and Them" transports the viewer to various communities whose identity formation follows the principle of demarcation and thus, of exclusion. The mechanisms employed to nurture a sense of belonging, strength and control range from the establishment of comprehensive security systems to the creation of myths and the evocation of enemy images to be fought against. On display will be works by artists Máté Bartha, Eddo Hartmann, Paula Markert and Salvatore Vitale.

In his series “Kontakt” from 2018, Máté Bartha (*1987, HU) portraits military summer camps in Hungary for children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18. Camping out in the open air, they hike, sing together and receive military training with replica weapons. The camps are intended to instil camaraderie and patriotism in the girls and boys, as well as a sense of belonging to a strong community.

Working as a photographer in North Korea is almost impossible. Ruled by an aggressive leader, the country censors all incoming as well as all outgoing information. Despite these adversities, Eddo Hartmann (*1973, NL) officially visited North Korea four times between 2014 and 2017 and took photographs in the capital Pyongyang. The images of his project “Setting the Stage” show a metropolis, charged with imposing symbolism and built in accordance with the socialist ideal. The city appears cold and deserted, but above all serves as a curious stage set for the self-created myth of the authoritarian regime.

The so-called “National Socialist Underground” (NSU) is responsible for the racially motivated killing of nine people in Germany between 2000 and 2007, and numerous other crimes. It was not until 2013 that the trial against the right-wing extremist terrorist group, which had long gone undetected, began. At that time, Hamburg photographer Paula Markert (*1982, D) started to work on her project “A Journey through Germany. The NSU series of murders”. In her work, she documents people and places associated with the group, thus creating multi-layered imagery of the inconceivable events and their processing by state institutions, the latter of which remains subject to criticism to this day.

For most people, any mention of Switzerland conjures up images of a peaceful alpine idyll in the heart of Europe. However, in the publication “How to Secure a Country” by Salvatore Vitale (*1986, I), it reveals a different side of itself, that of a highly militarised state permeated by a far-reaching security system and safety-mindedness. In observations collected over many years, Vitale’s visual research project details the way his adopted country deals with military border security, IT infrastructure, cyber-crime and terrorism.

Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2021

In its exhibition spaces on the second floor, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation is showing works by Poulomi Basu, Alejandro Cartagena, Cao Fei and Zineb Sedira, the finalists of this year's Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize.

The prestigious annual award nominates artists and projects that have made a significant contribution to photography in Europe over the previous twelve months, in form of an exhibition or publication.

The shortlist 2021 presents four highly individual artists, whose bold wide-ranging projects cover geographical territories from Algeria to China and explore issues affecting both the local and the global.

From Poulomi Basu’s uncompromisingly complex depiction of conflict in Central India, Alejandro Cartagena’s scathing critique exploring the repercussions of homeownership and developments in northern Mexico, to Cao Fei’s dystopic multi-media fabrications that consider the enormous impact of technologies on lived experiences and Zineb Sedira’s generous auto-fictive exploration of memory, culture and belonging: All of the nominated projects use photography as a means of challenging political realities to convey subjective truths.

At the same time, the exhibition, curated by Anna Dannemann, will be on show at The Photographers’ Gallery in London from 25 June until 26  September 2021. This year, it celebrates its 50th anniversary and the Photography Prize is also awarded for the 25th time. The winner of the £30,000 prize will be announced on 9 September 2021.

Information for visitors: 
The exhibition can be visited free of charge as part of guided tours. Please book in advance. The dates of public guided tours are available here. Furthermore the exhibition will be open on “Open Saturdays” from 11:00 to 16:00. For these days, registration is not required, the first Saturday will be 19 June. You can find more information about the hygiene concept for your visit on our homepage. 
Adress: The Cube, Mergenthalerallee 61, 65760 Eschborn

Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation

The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation is a Frankfurt-based non-profit organisation. The foundation activities focus on collecting, exhibiting and promoting contemporary photography. Founded in 1999, the Art Collection Deutsche Börse now comprises more than 2,000 works by over 130 artists from 27 nations.
Together with The Photographers’ Gallery in London, the foundation awards the renowned Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize each year. The Foundation is particularly interested in promoting young artists and supports them in various ways, e.g. through awards, scholarships or their participation in the Foam Talent program. Other focal points include supporting exhibition projects of international museums and institutions, and the expansion of platforms for academic discussion about the medium.