With a Little Help from Our Friends
People for each other in the region – aspects of voluntary and committed cooperation
Darya Boiko | Jessica Dirks | Mara Griem | Norbert Hillwig | Ulf Jasmer | Klaus G. Kohn | Matthias Langer | Stefan Sobotta
09.05. – 28.06.2026 / Opening 08.05.2026
Mara Griem, Untitled, from the series: RWBS04. 2023 © Mara Griem
The exhibition “With a Little Help from Our Friends” is under the patronage of Braunschweig’s Mayor Dr. Thorsten Kornblum and shows works that were selected by a six-member jury of experts in photography, art and journalism following an open call as a photo competition on the topic of social engagement and voluntary work in the region.
The occasion for the photo competition and the associated exhibition is the Lower Saxony Day , which will take place for the first time in Braunschweig from June 12th to 14th, 2026. This annual event, celebrated as the "State Festival of Volunteers," is dedicated to the diversity of the region and various aspects of volunteering.
The exhibition features photographs and installations by Darya Boiko, Jessika Dirks, Mara Griem, Norbert Hillwig, Ulf Jasmer, Klaus G. Kohn, Matthias Langer , and Stefan Sobotta . Created both independently and in conjunction with the competition, these works explore diverse photographic languages and stagings, focusing on themes such as portraiture of individuals and their volunteer work (Klaus G. Kohn), aspects of club life using a football club as an example (Mara Griem), special commitments and initiatives (Norbert Hillwig, Ulf Jasmer, Stefan Sobotta), and the socio-political movement "Last Generation" (Jessika Dirks). A performance of Aeschylus' play "The Persians" took place in 2008 as a project within the Theaterformen Festival, involving approximately 400 citizens of Braunschweig. Artist Matthias Langer created a large-format long-exposure photographic work to accompany the performance. Darya Boiko, another participant in the exhibition, captured scenes of interaction in a narrative and abstract way as black and white photographs in public space.
The jury for the project included:
Miriam Bettin (Director of Mönchehaus Museum Goslar), Michael Ewen (Board Member of Museum für Photographie Braunschweig eV), Barbara Hofmann-Johnson (Director of Museum für Photographie Braunschweig), Catherine Peter (Artist and Editor for Weltkunst, Berlin), Dr. Linda Sandrock (Research Associate at Museum für Photographie Braunschweig), Janek Wiechers (Cultural Journalist at NDR).
