Swiss Photomonth

photo basel x Ackermann Collection

"Beyond the Ideal" is an exhibition curated by Felix Ackermann and Elwira Spychalska that is dedicated to the diverse forms in which female bodies are depicted, interpreted, and questioned in photography. In doing so, it offers a fascinating insight into the collection of Felix Ackermann.

Beauty has always been a mirror of societal expectations – changeable, subjective, and often normative. The exhibition counters this with a broad range of perspectives: from intimate self-portraits and staged art photography to documentary photography, it presents nude depictions encompassing a wide variety of ages and body shapes. The body is not understood as a passive object of observation here, but as an expression of identity and self-determination. At the same time, the works illuminate the complex area of tension between photographer, model, and observer, in which concepts of power and intimacy are constantly renegotiated.

The exhibition places a special focus on the formal and technical dimensions of the medium: the juxtaposition of classical processes such as black-and-white photography with alternative techniques, fine art prints, analog experiments, and digital image processing makes it possible to experience how photographic processes actively shape the interpretation of the body through their materiality, coloration, and lighting effects. This creates a polyphonic dialogue that invites the audience to view the image of the female body anew – beyond rigid ideals and towards a physicality as an expression of lived individuality.

On display are 40 images in 15 positions by 10 female and 13 male artists, including works by Brigitte Tast, Aleksandra Leese, Lucana, Lan Bao Vuong, Jo Schwab, and Gerard Malanga.

Two guided tours will take place as part of the exhibition:

• Thursday, September 17, 6:30 PM

• Thursday, October 1, 6:30 PM

Raum für Kunst – Galerie Felix Ackermann
Heuberg 24
4051 Basel

From September 17 to October 8, the exhibition can be visited by appointment.

about the Swiss Photomonth
As a catalyst of a rich national cultural offer, the festival offers the public the opportunity to explore nearly sixty institutions, from globally recognised establishments to emerging art spaces. The event invites you to (re)discover the leading figures of photography as well as the national and international talents of tomorrow in the different regions of the country.

Switzerland is home to one of the richest and most dynamic photography scenes in the world, with a dense network of festivals, museums, galleries, art academies, libraries, archives, public and private collections and artists' studios. The Swiss Month of Photography therefore offers a cartography of these places and makes it possible to discover around fifty artistic institutions over six weeks, some of which are not normally open to the public. These places can be explored - often free of charge - as part of various programmes: Exhibitions in museums, galleries and at festivals, visits to artists' studios and encounters with photographers, workshops, performances or behind-the-scenes tours of collections, to name but a few. This innovative festival is the result of a joint effort to increase the visibility of photographic institutions and events in Switzerland - from Geneva to St. Gallen and from Basel to Ticino.