Civilization

Civilization focuses on cultures from every continent: from the way we produce and consume, to how we work and play, travel and live, think and design, collaborate and clash. In a time where it seems that people and opinions are drifting further and further apart and urgently needed consensus seems increasingly unattainable, this exhibition focuses on what we have in common. Since Edward Steichen’s groundbreaking 1955 photo exhibition, The Family of Man, it is the first show to take such a comprehensive look at our world and at what we care about: home, work, leisure, transport, communication, education, science, and technology.

Never before in the history of humankind have so many people been as connected and dependent on each other. The modern Olympic Games, the giant jumbo jet, smart phones and social media, artificial intelligence (AI)—controversial as they may be, none of these phenomena would have been possible without the preserved knowledge of earlier times and the joint efforts of highly qualified, highly educated, and highly motivated people. Civilization is an exhibition about contemporary photography, a medium which can also be seen as a collective civilizational endeavor: together, photographers are creating a multifaceted portrait of our time. All over the world, they are busy documenting, interpreting, and capturing the way we live. The result is a cross-section ranging from documentary projects to decidedly subjective stagings. Rather than taking a judgemental position, the associative compilation of varied and surprising works aims to inform, entertain, and inspire. Viewers are invited to reflect on similarities and differences and to engage in open discourse. Next to renowned artists such as Candida Höfer, Edward Burtynsky and Thomas Struth, the exhibition also features younger mid-career photographers such as Pablo López Luz, Sheng-Wen Lo and Julia Chamberlain, among others.

Civilization was initiated by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Korea, and the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Minneapolis/Lausanne. Since 2018, it has been featured in Seoul, Beijing, Melbourne, London, and Taipei, among others. The exhibition is now presented at the Kunsthalle München in an updated form and complemented by many works addressing current issues such as the COVID pandemic and artificial intelligence. In 2026, the exhibition will be on view at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Switzerland.

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