The exhibition presents works by 30 students from the two major art schools in Stuttgart, the Merz Academy, University of Design, Art and Media, Stuttgart, and the Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart (ABK Stuttgart), at "THE GÄLLERY - Space for Photography".

The musical playlist is an integral part of youth culture. As a carefully curated sequence of songs with different timbres, rhythms, and moods, it is more than the sum of its parts. In this sense, the exhibition opens up a multi-voiced journey that invites the audience to immerse themselves in the changing atmospheres of each project.

The works shown in the current exhibition exhibit interesting intersections between applied, documentary, and artistic photography. The themes are as diverse as the life realities of the students. Biographical experiences and everyday observations set the tone: the projects deal with questions of belonging, community, and societal influences or engage with existential music experiences and touching lyrics. The artists focus on spiritual experiences, pay attention to the routines of everyday life, or analyze their own emotional state in times of the Russian war on Ukraine.

The special exhibition was created in collaboration with photography professors Ulrike Myrzik (ABK Stuttgart) and Anja Weber (Merz Academy). The project builds on a series of collaborations with art schools at "THE GÄLLERY - Space for Photography".

Exhibitors:

Elvin Ayanoglu, Laura Benner, Leonie Bucher, Nele David, Semiha Değirmenci, Lena Zoe Dernai, Emilia Giese, Iliana Glatz, Julia Groß, Miriam Häfele, Sophie Hanna, Serafine Hauschke, Sarah Hendrysiak, Clara Imberger, Alonso John, Melissa Kugele, Alwin Maigler, Lisa Mantel, Ilya Netyosov, Max Schindler, Maxim Schipko, Elia Schmid, Zoe Schmidt, Julius Schröder, Yannick Schroth, Josepha Stolz, Mariia Sviatohorova, Marlene Theiss, Xenia Wahl, Farida Emanuella Womeno-Dassi

Image: Leonie Bucher, æmilia, from the series "touch me again", 2025, © Leonie Bucher

In cooperation with Merz Academy Stuttgart and ABK Stuttgart