Fragmented Icons Exhibition

Herford, May 2026 – The Herford Art Association presents the exhibition *Fragmented Icons* by internationally renowned photographic artist Thomas Kellner. From May 30 to July 12, 2026, the exhibition will feature selected works from his iconic series Zerlegte Ikonen – 35mm-Welten—a tribute to architecture, perception, and the fragility of cultural symbols, with the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao serving as the defining central motif.

Thomas Kellner, born in Bonn in 1966 and known for his unique architectural deconstructions on 35mm film, has developed a distinctive visual language through his analog method. In his photographs, he “deconstructs” world-famous buildings into a multitude of sequential individual shots, which are reassembled into rhythmic tableaux through the sequence of exposures. The result is works that evoke Cubism while fundamentally questioning the relationship between space, time, and perception. “Buildings that deconstruct, reconnect, twisted into irrational forms—the attempt to flatten something three-dimensional onto a two-dimensional plane,” is how American curator Harris Fogel describes the effect of these works.

At the heart of *Fragmented Icons* are architectural landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Tower Bridge, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and the U.S. Capitol—symbols of power, stability, and cultural identity. In Kellner’s photographic transformation, however, these monuments begin to waver: lines shift, perspectives fracture, and forms begin to oscillate. The Guggenheim Bilbao occupies a special place in this context. As an icon of contemporary museum architecture, its fragmented depiction becomes a visual metaphor for a cultural system whose stability is increasingly being called into question.

Kellner’s work is deeply rooted in the history of photography. With his series “Dismantled Icons – 35mm Worlds,” he builds on the tradition of 20th-century architectural photography, yet expands upon it through a conceptual, almost musical principle of fragmentation and recomposition.
“Who would have thought that analog photographs could still create so much wonder in an age of digital manipulation,” wrote Alan G. Artner of the Chicago Tribune about Kellner’s work.

The exhibition Fragmented Icons invites viewers to see architecture anew—not as a stable form, but as a mirror of our perception, our history, and societal fault lines.

Serendipity and the Origins of the Fragmented Icons Exhibition

The word “serendipity” refers to the chance encounter with something one was not originally looking for, but which turns out to be a pleasantly surprising discovery. What the word highlights is that people can recognize fortunate coincidences and embrace these sudden outcomes to foster new developments—precisely in unexpected places or through unanticipated means. Many of the things we use today are the result of serendipity: according to a Wikipedia page, at least, these include penicillin, the printing press, cheese, and, in fact, the wheel. According to legend, the origin of photography also stems from a happy coincidence. An important step in the development of photography—the creation of the light-sensitive imaging medium—arose, according to this legend, from a surprise. After the French scientist Louis Daguerre had stored a silver iodide plate in a drawer in the mid-19th century—it was a gray day, so he gave up on exposing his plates to sunlight that day—he was surprised to find a fully developed image the next day. After further investigations and experiments, he determined that mercury vapors from a broken thermometer in the drawer were responsible for the image, and thus developed one of the first photographic processes of the 19th century.

The Beginning of Thomas Kellner’s Black & White Series in Paris

Thomas Kellner’s contact sheets—the works exhibited here, in which architectural subjects are synthesized using photographic film—also trace their origins to an unplanned encounter in France. In 1997, Kellner traveled to Paris to photograph the Eiffel Tower—his intended tool was originally a homemade pinhole camera, a photographic device he was currently exploring artistically.

From the Eiffel Tower to Photographic Deconstruction

The goal was to translate the Cubist fragmentation of the Eiffel Tower—as depicted by the French painter Robert Delaunay in the early 20th century—into the medium of photography. However, due to time constraints, this multi-aperture camera could not be built, which is why he ultimately photographed the Eiffel Tower with an analog SLR camera—“a stopgap solution,” as Kellner told me. This stopgap solution involved creating the fragmentation of the Eiffel Tower through the contact sheet, which arranges the individual frames of the photographic film in sequence. Through this specific composition of the contact sheet, Kellner was able to circumvent the traditional perspective of the photographic image and realize the fundamental Cubist idea photographically—and thus, something new emerged from a “stopgap solution.”

The Contact Sheet as a Foundation of Analog Photography

Originally an invisible step in the photographic development process, the contact sheet is created through the physical contact between photographic film and photographic paper. The film is placed on the paper, exposed, and then developed. The result is an exact 1:1-scale copy. And it is precisely as a “copy” that many photographers understand and use the contact sheet. Here, it serves merely as a copy of the “original” images—that is, those still waiting on the film. The contact sheet serves as a reference point for evaluating the “actual” images before development—for example, to make a preliminary selection or to decide whether the film needs to be re-exposed. A thoroughly helpful tool, then, but just that:   an aid to the original. In Kellner’s work, however, the contact sheet is viewed differently.

How Thomas Kellner Turned the Contact Sheet into Art

In Kellner’s artistic presentation of the contact sheet, he not only liberates it from its subordinate role as an aid but also asserts the contact sheet’s aesthetic autonomy.

The Aesthetics of the Contact Sheet and Iconic Architecture

In this way, the aesthetic characteristics of the contact sheet become visible, such as the deep black of the photographic film, which contrasts with the tonality of the teeming images; the geometric grid that structures the surface and flows through it at the same time; the repeating and varying images that keep the motifs in motion within this dynamic; and, last but not least, the tiny film captions, with which KODAK lettering trickles down the image like white snowflakes. Perhaps it is no coincidence that it was the Eiffel Tower, of all things, whose presence in the contact sheet sparked Kellner’s fascination with the medium. In the exhibition, several depictions of the Eiffel Tower make it clear how unique interactions between subject and medium are created in the contact sheet. The structural framework of the Eiffel Tower intertwines with that of the film, and it is precisely in this interweaving that the separation between image and medium dissolves. At the same time, Kellner sets the Eiffel Tower in motion precisely through the grid, which would otherwise impose a rigid order. Through meticulous shifts in perspective, Kellner makes the monument wobble, or creates effects of multiple perspectives and dissolution through repetition. The steel framework thus begins to flow. The contact sheet is thus characterized by complements and contrasts, as well as resonances and dampenings, which I would like to encourage you to look for in the other images shown here of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Brandenburg Gate. Kellner’s newly built structures are often described using the term “deconstructivism.” 

Fragmented Icons and the Concept of Deconstructivism

This term, borrowed from the history of architecture and spanning the relationship between destruction and construction, points to the reorganization of buildings that Kellner undertakes in his process.

Photomontage or Photographic Construction?

At first glance, this idea of “deconstructing and reconstructing” the motif using the medium of photography suggests a connection to the design principle of photomontage, in which photographic reproductions are cut up and reassembled. Since the early 20th century, photomontage has been a means of artistic expression for artists such as Hannah Höch and Raoul Hausmann—incidentally, it was also the result of a chance encounter the artists had with a collage in a tavern, where the landlady had pasted military symbols onto a photograph of her sons, who were soldiers. I, too, once used the term “montage” during my internship in Thomas Kellner’s studio, but was quickly corrected. And rightly so—after all, photomontage refers to the technique of freely assembling photographic reproductions onto a new image carrier. We can picture the landlady as she pastes over her family photograph, free to choose from other photographs or newspapers and cut them out as she pleases, positioning them on the new image surface with complete freedom. In a contact sheet, however, this possibility of free redesign does not exist; one is forced to work with the structure and sequence dictated by the photographic film.

Precision, Planning and Thomas Kellner’s Artistic Process

For this reason, Kellner plans very carefully—even before he begins taking photos in his sketchbooks—how many photos he needs to take to maintain a square format, and which shots require which angles to achieve the intended effect. And because this photography process takes significantly more time, he must pay closer attention to weather conditions to ensure a longer period of consistent outdoor lighting conditions.

The Dialogue Between Photographer and Medium

Against this backdrop, I see Kellner’s contact sheets as a method that creates horizontal relationships between the photographer and his medium. After all, Kellner yields to the conditions imposed by the medium and attempts to work with them. One of Hannah Höch’s best-known photomontages bears the lengthy title “A Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife Through Germany’s Last Weimar ‘Beer Belly’ Cultural Epoch.” With the kitchen knife, Höch points not only to the Dada group’s attack on bourgeois notions of art, but also—in the truest sense of the word—to the violence that photomontage artists inflicted on their photographs. In Kellner’s contact sheets, however, I do not see this photographic authority that imposes itself on the medium with a knife, but rather a partner to the medium who deliberately engages with obstacles and works with coincidences and uncertainties to create something new.

Beyond Deconstruction: Rethinking Architecture Through Photography

And so, to me, Kellner’s architectural works do not appear “destroyed” or reassembled solely according to his own vision, as the term “deconstruction” occasionally suggests. In his images, the massive structures are not razed to the ground or depicted as ruins, nor do they appear in a way that completely contradicts the buildings’ identities.

The London Eye, Stonehenge and Brasília in the Black & White Series

Rather, existing elements of the structures are deliberately taken up, reinforced, or reimagined. With the Eiffel Towers, I have already demonstrated how the contact sheet complements and transforms the structures, but the work on the London Eye featured in this exhibition also reimagines the characteristics of the Ferris wheel. While other photographs primarily attempt to capture the wheel’s monumental size, Kellner’s work shows what the wheel in London actually does: turn. It appears to be accelerating; the deliberate accentuations made possible by the contact sheet make the wheel seem to pulsate and evoke the very sensations of vertigo that a ride on it can bring. In his representation of Stonehenge, however, Kellner chooses to tilt the rock formation—which already appears unstable—thereby bringing the principle of stacking stones to the brink of collapse. In his photographs of the city of Brasília, however, he uses the grid to express the modernist spirit inscribed in this city. As Paul Wombell writes about Kellner’s images of Brasília, the grid—as a symbol of modernism—structured the city planning of Brasília, and Kellner’s representations of the city within this grid allow these inscribed visions to materialize.

The Relationship Between Subject and Interpretation

Kellner’s works, then, do not destroy these structures and reassemble them freely according to his own vision; rather, they accentuate specific architectural characteristics, reminding us of what fascinates us about them—and what is lost in the camera’s realistic image. And here, too, I see a horizontal relationship—this time with the subject of the image—in which its distinctive characteristics are acknowledged, and through a dialogue with them, new visual worlds can be constructed.

Cultural Memory and the Visual Language of Fragmented Icons

And these new visual worlds created by the contact sheet—in which iconic motifs firmly embedded in our cultural visual memory are alienated—have the effect of making us linger longer even before photographs of the Eiffel Tower, so that even the most familiar sights can appear to us in a different light. It is, then, a sight that demands closer, more prolonged contemplation and thus conveys a different sense of time than the one we’re accustomed to when we tend to skim over these structures in travel guides or on Instagram rather than examine them closely. For the uniqueness of these monuments is often diluted in the flood of images in which we drift in our media-saturated age.

Why the Fragmented Icons Exhibition Invites Slow Looking

The contact sheet, however, compels us to linger a bit in order to take in the familiar yet new and to understand its structure. Just as Kellner lingers for a long time in front of these buildings to reflect on their peculiarities and to take another close look at what is actually hidden behind the familiar. And just as back in 1997, when something new revealed itself to him in the contact print, this lingering also brings something sudden to light in these rigid buildings, and he begins the process of development. And perhaps we, too, today, will find something new as we linger before these familiar buildings. Maybe nothing that reinvents the wheel, but just as serendipitous.

The Herford Art Association as a Center for Contemporary Art

The Herford Art Association is one of North Rhine-Westphalia’s most long-standing art associations and holds a special place within both the regional and national art scenes. Since its founding, the Kunstverein has seen itself as a venue for education, discussion, and the presentation of contemporary art. In doing so, it combines its local cultural roots with an open-minded view of international developments in contemporary art. It is precisely this combination of regional identity and an international perspective that makes the Herford Art Association an important player within the German art scene.

Art, Culture, and History in Herford

The history of the Kunstverein is closely linked to the cultural development of the city of Herford. Herford has a long tradition as a center of culture and education in East Westphalia-Lippe. With institutions such as the Museum Marta Herford, historic churches, and a vibrant cultural scene, the city has evolved into a place where contemporary art is continuously showcased to the public. Within this cultural landscape, the Herford Art Association serves as a bridge between artists, collectors, curators, and an art-loving public.

The Role of Art Associations in Germany

Art associations have traditionally held special significance in Germany. Unlike purely commercial galleries or state-run museums, they often arise from civic engagement and aim to make contemporary art accessible independently of purely economic interests. The Herford Art Association exemplifies this tradition. It not only promotes established figures in contemporary art but also offers young artists a platform for experimentation, new bodies of work, and discursive projects.

Photography as a Focus of the Herford Art Association

In recent years, the Herford Art Association has increasingly embraced interdisciplinary and international perspectives. Exhibitions often combine photography, installation, painting, sculpture, and media art. Photography, in particular, plays a special role in this context. At a time when photographic images have become ubiquitous and digital imagery dominates everyday life, the Kunstverein views artistic photography as an independent medium with social, historical, and aesthetic relevance.

Fragmented Icons: Thomas Kellner’s Black & White Series at the Herford Art Association

The presentation of Thomas Kellner’s exhibition *Fragmented Icons* fits seamlessly into this programmatic profile. Kellner’s work is among the most distinctive voices in contemporary German photography. His works straddle the boundaries between architectural photography, conceptual image analysis, and visual deconstruction. In particular, the series *Black & White* (1997–2005) is among the artist’s most internationally successful series and has been exhibited worldwide.

Architectural Photography Between Fragmentation and Reinterpretation

The exhibition at the Herforder Kunstverein features photographs that deliberately break with the visual conventions of classical architectural photography. Instead of a static, objective perspective, the works present fragmented visual structures in which familiar buildings are broken down into individual parts and then reassembled. The photographs are reminiscent of contact sheets from analog photography, cinematic sequences, and the Cubist visual strategies of Modernism.

Art Historical Connections from Modernism to the Present

It is precisely this connection to the history of modernism that makes the works particularly interesting within an art-historical context. Kellner’s photographs are part of a tradition that spans from the avant-garde visual experiments of the early 20th century to contemporary questions of perception and image production. Influences from Cubism, Futurism, and conceptual photography are evident, as are references to classical architectural photography.

Analog Photography and the Materiality of the Image

At the same time, the works are highly relevant today. In an age of digital image overload, the artist’s analog approach creates a deliberate slowing down. The photographs in the series were created on 35mm film and are based on a complex process involving exposure, contact sheet composition, and montage. This brings the materiality of photography to the fore—an aspect that is becoming increasingly important in today’s digital age. For many collectors and institutions, this is precisely what makes the works so appealing: they combine historical photographic techniques with a contemporary visual language.

 The Herford Art Association as a Space for Reflection

The Herford Art Association provides a suitable institutional setting for this group of works. Unlike at major art fairs or in purely commercial contexts, this space allows for an in-depth engagement with the works. Visitors can take their time to examine the photographic structures, repetitions, and shifts and make sense of the complex visual systems. As a result, the exhibition becomes not only an aesthetic experience but also a reflection on perception, memory, and the construction of reality.

Art Education and Public Dialogue

Furthermore, the art association plays an important role in regional cultural outreach. Exhibitions are often accompanied by discussions, guided tours, lectures, or publications. This fosters a dialogue between art and the public that goes far beyond the mere presentation of works. This outreach work is of central importance, particularly in the field of contemporary photography, as photographic art often bridges the gap between documentary observation and conceptual strategy.

Associations as a Bridge Between Artists, Collectors, and Institutions

Art associations are also becoming increasingly important from an economic and cultural-policy perspective. They serve as interfaces between artists, collectors, institutions, and funding organizations. For many artists, art associations are important venues for gaining their first institutional visibility. At the same time, they offer collectors the opportunity to identify current trends at an early stage and to establish direct contact with artists and curators.

Thomas Kellner and International Fine Art Photography

In the case of Thomas Kellner, his works are relevant both from an art-historical and a market-economy perspective. The *Black & White* series is among the artist’s best-known bodies of work and has been collected internationally. Through their combination of analog techniques, iconic architecture, and conceptual imagery, these works hold a strong position within the international photographic art market. The exhibition at the Herforder Kunstverein further reinforces this perception, as institutional exhibitions contribute significantly to the art-historical contextualization and long-term visibility of a body of work.

Fragmented Icons as an Example of Curatorial Excellence

The exhibition *Fragmented Icons* thus exemplifies the Herford Art Association’s programmatic focus: the combination of artistic quality, social relevance, and an international perspective. At the same time, it demonstrates the significance that art associations can still hold today. In an increasingly digitized and fast-paced cultural landscape, they create spaces for concentration, discussion, and aesthetic experience.

The Role of Photography in Contemporary Art

This role is particularly central in the field of photography. Today, photography shapes global communication processes, social media, and political imagery. At the same time, artistic photography is increasingly recognized as a medium worthy of inclusion in collections and museums. Art associations such as the Herforder Kunstverein help to critically examine these developments and place photographic works within a historical and social context.

Regional Roots and International Perspectives

Thomas Kellner’s exhibition also highlights the international relevance of regional cultural work. Although the Herforder Kunstverein is rooted in the local community, with *Fragmented Icons* it presents a body of work that can be understood worldwide. The depicted buildings, the fragmented aesthetic, and the reflection on perception possess a universal dimension. This creates a dialogue between the regional exhibition venue and global visual culture.

The Herford Art Association as a Cultural Laboratory of the Present

In this way, the Herford Art Association becomes not only a venue for exhibitions, but also an active cultural laboratory for contemporary art. Its exhibitions demonstrate that art associations continue to play an essential role within the European cultural landscape—as places of encounter, reflection, and mediation between art, society, and history.

Thomas Kellner. Fragmented Icons
May 30 – July 15, 2026
Herforder Kunstverein im Daniel-Pöppelmann-Haus e. V., Herford, Germany
 

Daniel-Pöppelmann-Haus
Deichtorwall 2
32052 Herford
Germany

Herforder Kunstverein im Daniel-Pöppelmann-Haus e. V.
Deichtorwall 2
32052 Herford
Germany

Opening hours
Tuesday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Info Phone Number: +49 5221 189689
E-Mail: paedagogik@herforder-kunstverein.de

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