Image: Peter Hujar, Self-Portrait (II), 1975 © The Peter Hujar Archive / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2026, Courtesy of The Peter Hujar Archive / ARS, New York, and Pace Gallery, Fraenkel Gallery, Maureen Paley, and Mai36
"Peter Hujar: Eyes Open in the Dark" is in its final weeks at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn, closing on 23 August 2026 after opening on 27 February. The exhibition is devoted to the American photographer Peter Hujar (1934-1987), a central figure in the New York downtown scene of the 1970s and 1980s.
The museum describes Hujar's primary interest as portraiture, photographing friends, lovers and people in his social circle with intimacy and emotional depth, alongside animal, landscape and architectural subjects. The display concentrates on the work he made from the 1970s onward. It was curated by Hujar's biographer John Douglas Millar and his friend Gary Schneider, in close collaboration with the photographer's estate, and was originally organised by Raven Row in London with thanks to the Peter Hujar Foundation.
Hujar died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1987, when his work was still largely unknown; the Bundeskunsthalle now places him among the significant photographers of the second half of the 20th century. The museum carries a visitor advisory that the exhibition contains explicit images of sexuality and physicality and is intended for adult visitors aged 18 and over. Photography is not permitted inside the show.
The exhibition is at Helmut-Kohl-Allee 4, 53113 Bonn. An accompanying catalogue is published with Walther und Koenig, Cologne: 144 pages with 134 duotone illustrations, ISBN 978-3-7533-0972-9, priced at 22 euros at the Bundeskunsthalle and 25 euros in bookshops. Separately, and in partnership with the Bundeskunsthalle, the Gropius Bau in Berlin presented "Peter Hujar / Liz Deschenes: Persistence of Vision" from 19 March to 28 June 2026; that presentation has already ended.
