Traces of Reality
200 Years of Photography from the Collections of the Museums of the City of Linz
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Judith Huemer, Balcony Session Constructed #3, 2007–08 
Eva Schlegel, O. T. 009, 2009 
Edward Steichen, Rodin – Der Denker, 1902 
Huda Takriti, Revisitation. In Three Acts | Act One, 2024 
Felix-Benedikt Sturm, Ohne Titel [260520 take (8) III], aus der Serie Interferenzen, 2020 
Ray Man, Zünder, 1922 (1978) 
Anita Witek, "Safe Space" (aus der Serie "Unvorhergesehene Ereignisse“), 2022 
Inge Morath, 1987 
Madame d’Ora (Dora Kallmus), Damenporträt, 1920-30 
Shirin Neshat, Speechless, 1996 
Franz Xaver Sölch, Damenporträt, um 1850 
Herbert Bayer, Lonely Metropolitan, 1932
Some 200 years ago, the French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce succeeded in permanently capturing the view from his study on a specially coated pewter plate. Today, this event is regarded as one of the defining moments in the birth of photography. Since then, the medium has not only transformed our perception of the world, but has also had a profound impact on the way artists produce images and practise their craft. To mark this anniversary, the exhibition places works from different historical periods drawn from the collections of the Museums of the City of Linz in dialogue.
The exhibition explores the fundamental conditions of the medium itself. Focusing on five core themes, it explores the parameters that are key to creating a photograph. Technical aspects of photography are just as important as the choice of subject matter. As a result, viewers are given a rich insight into the various approaches adopted by artists to using the medium in their image-making processes since its inception: from the earliest photographic methods of the 19th century and darkroom experiments of classical modernism through to contemporary works that exploit digital processes.
Curator: Sarah Jonas
Künstler:innen
Laurien Bachmann, Édouard Baldus, Herbert Bayer, Gottfried Bechtold, Dietmar Brehm, Julia Margaret Cameron, Inge Dick, Johann Carl Enslen, VALIE EXPORT, Sissi Farassat, Trude Fleischmann, Katharina Gruzei, Ilse Haider, Caroline Heider, Heinrich Heidersberger, Assaf Hinden, Franz Hubmann, Judith Huemer, Dagmar Höss, Birgit Jürgenssen, Dora Kallmus (Madame d’Ora), Leo Kandl, Anton Kehrer, Herwig Kempinger, Mathias Kessler, Brigitte Kowanz, Heinrich Kühn, Erich Lessing, Franz Linschinger, Estefanía Peñafiel Loaiza, Inés Lombardi, László Moholy-Nagy, Julie Monaco, Inge Morath, Gaspard Félix Tournachon (Nadar), Shirin Neshat, Olena Newkryta, Waltraud Palme, Ingeborg G. Pluhar, Man Ray, Oscar Gustav Rejlander, Alexander Rodtschenko, August Sander, Leo Schatzl, Eva Schlegel, Edward Steichen, Felix Benedikt Sturm, Huda Takriti, Mathilde ter Heijne, Sophie Thun, Robert Waldl, Anita Witek, Otto Zitko, u. a
| Date | Title | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 03.09 | Public guided tour through “The Collection” Duration: 60 minutes, max. 25 people, guided tour ticket: €4 (plus admission) No registration required (“first-come, first-served”). German only | 6:00 pm–7:00 pm |
| Sat 05.09 | Lentos Atelier (Fully booked) Children and young people between the ages of 6 and 12 have the opportunity to discover works of art, work creatively and try out different techniques in the Lentos studio. | 10:00 am–12:00 pm |
| Sat 05.09 | A Studio for All Age Groups (Fully booked) Every first Saturday each month we throw open the door of our “Atelier für Alle”, our studio for sessions with all age groups from 0 – 99. | 2:00 pm–4:00 pm |
| Sat 05.09 | Express Tour: “The Collection” This tour offers an insight into the Lentos. It looks at the museum‘s history and collection of art and includes highlights of the present special exhibition. Language: English, Ticket: 3€ plus admission, duration: 45min | 4:00 pm–5:00 pm |
| Sun 06.09 | Family Sunday Especially for families: Explore with the children’s guide and enjoy a creative afternoon in the open Danube Studio between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM. | 1:00 pm–4:00 pm |
| Sun 06.09 | Public guided tour through “The Collection” Duration: 60 minutes, max. 25 people, guided tour ticket: €4 (plus admission) No registration required (“first-come, first-served”). German only | 4:00 pm–5:00 pm |
| Tue 08.09 | Press Tour: Prix Ars Electronica & S+T+ARTS Prize 2026 The exhibition features six selected works by winners of the Prix Ars Electronica and the S+T+ARTS Prize 2026. | 9:00 am–10:00 am |
| Tue 08.09 | Ars Electronica Festival 2026 | Opening of the Prize Winners Exhibition as part of the Pre-Opening Walk The exhibition presents six selected works by winners of the 2026 Prix Ars Electronica and the 2026 S+T+ARTS Prize. Opening remarks: Hemma Schmutz, Lentos Art Museum; Gerfried Stocker, Ars Electronica; Doris Lang-Mayerhofer, City Councilor for Culture, City of Linz | 3:00 pm–5:00 pm |
| Tue 08.09 | Public guided tour through “The Collection” Duration: 60 minutes, max. 25 people, guided tour ticket: €4 (plus admission) No registration required (“first-come, first-served”). German only | 4:00 pm–5:00 pm |
| Wed 09.09 | Spotlight Tours: Negotiating Humanity Guided tour of this year’s exhibition featuring the winners of the Prix Ars Electronica and the S+T+ARTS Prize. Tickets are required for the guided tours. | 12:30 pm–2:00 pm |