SHAME – between me and the world

The Kunstverein 68elf presents

49 artists have been selected to give a face to their artistic interpretations of shame in a special venue.

At Bunker K101 – Körnerstr. 101 – 50823 Cologne

On display are critical, social, personal, serious, political, historical and sensual perspectives expressed through painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, objects, photography, video, installation, performance and text

Opening: Friday 4 September 2026 at 6 pm

Dates: 4 to 20 September 2026

Reading:
Saturday 12 September at 7 pm: not suitable for young people!
Thomas Dahl reads from “In Höllen”
agii gosse reads from “Poison”

Performance:
Sat 19 September, 5 pm:
kopróchoma collective

Opening hours: Fri 5 pm – 8 pm, Sat/Sun 4 pm – 7 pm

Radio feature from WDR on the exhibition [Link]

Our work:

OUR PROMISED LAND

A collaboration
Ingrid Bahß and zweiimdruck

Our starting points

FLIGHT: Loss of home / homelessness, loss of homeland, language and family ties, being cast out, involuntary flight/deportation, flight into poverty, feeling afraid, being ‘lost’, a sense of not belonging, of being cast adrift* – from all this, SHAME arises within them. (Where) might the SHAME lie on our side?
SHAME: Our shame as a collective feeling towards the people who have fled to our ‘promised’ land, whom we do not welcome. I am ashamed of my country, of my species…

FOOT-WASHING: In the East, foot-washing is a ritual act, a sign of hospitality – a gesture of welcome. Jesus washes his disciples’ feet before the (Last) Supper. Mary Magdalene washes Jesus’ feet with her hair.
The idea for this joint exhibition project arose from the biblical image of foot-washing as a gesture of humility, respect and welcome towards those who come to us, having travelled a long way and arriving with wounded, exhausted, dusty, battered souls, bodies and feet.
*Term coined by Martin Heidegger