Image: Kunstmuseum Bonn
The Kunstmuseum Bonn will present the first exhibition of Herlinde Koelbl’s latest work series, ‘Fadenkreuze für das Leben’, from 8 November 2026 to 16 May 2027. The exhibition brings together portraits and interviews with 40 people living with cancer, addressing illness, vulnerability and hope through photography and recorded testimony.
Koelbl’s project began with her own experience of cancer in 2019–20. During treatment, she became interested in the crosshair-like markings used in radiotherapy to align radiation precisely. She recognized a connection with her earlier project ‘Targets’, in which she photographed shooting targets and military crosshairs. In the earlier work, the crosshair signified killing; in the context of cancer treatment, it becomes associated with survival.
For the new series, Koelbl spoke with people of different ages and backgrounds about their experiences of the disease. The resulting conversations and portraits make visible accounts of fear, hope, loss and renewed confidence. According to the museum, the combination of photographic portraiture and interviews is intended to create a broad view of human vulnerability and strength while encouraging a more open public discussion of cancer.
The exhibition extends Koelbl’s longstanding documentary practice, which has examined social structures and personal experience through photography and film. She is known internationally for long-term studies including ‘Spuren der Macht’. The museum describes her as one of Germany’s most important contemporary photographers. In 2025, she received the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art, the latest distinction listed in the museum’s presentation.
The Kunstmuseum Bonn is presenting the series as part of its exhibition programme at the Museumsmeile in Bonn. Its wider 2026 programme includes exhibitions focused on empathy, the museum’s collection and the relationship between art and artificial intelligence, but the Koelbl project is the institution’s autumn preview centred specifically on illness and lived experience. The Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft and the Stiftung Deutsche Krebshilfe are cooperation partners for the exhibition.
‘Fadenkreuze für das Leben’ will open at the Kunstmuseum Bonn on Sunday, 8 November 2026, at 11:30 a.m. Admission to the opening is free and no registration is required. The exhibition will remain on view through 16 May 2027.
