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Exhibition Opening: O, IHR MENSCHEN – New Objectivity in Photography, Print and Drawing
On September 21, 2025, the exhibition O, IHR MENSCHEN opened at Museum Haus Opherdicke in Kreis Unna. The show connects the artistic spirit of the 1920s New Objectivity movement with contemporary perspectives - featuring both historical works and new contributions, among them a series by index.kollektiv e.V.
Through photography, graphics, and drawing, the exhibition explores how artists have portrayed human existence, emotion, and social reality across a century marked by upheaval and transformation. The combination of classical works and contemporary visual positions creates a dialogue between past and present - between the analytical gaze of the 1920s and the reflective, socially aware view of today.
The opening event brought together art lovers, cultural professionals, and local guests in an inspiring and lively atmosphere. Accompanied by live music from the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen, the vernissage offered moments of exchange, reflection, and celebration.
The exhibition runs until February 8, 2026 and is accompanied by guided tours, workshops, and educational programmes. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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we invite: exhibition O IHR MENSCHEN
period
21.09.2025 - 08.02.2026
opening
SU 21.09.2025, 11:30 
location
MUSEUM HAUS OPHERDICKE I Dorfstraße 29, 59439 Holzwickede
On display are works from the 1920s and 1930s that portray people and their environment with a clear, often unsparing gaze – in prints, photographs and drawings.
These historical works enter into dialogue with contemporary photographs from index.kollektiv, whose documentary, Neue Sachlichkeit perspective revisits the tension between individual experience and social reality. It is a perspective that reveals rather than judges – raising questions about responsibility, impact and ethics in human activity.
The exhibition asks: What can humans create – in terms of good, beautiful and meaningful things? And what in terms of destructive, disturbing and hurtful things? How do humans change the world – and how do they change themselves in it? O IHR MENSCHEN invites visitors to engage in a multi-layered debate.
The exhibition will open on Sunday, 21 September, at 11:30 a.m. in the barn of MUSEUM HAUS OPHERDICKE. All interested parties are cordially invited.
Philipp Reckermann, District Director and Head of Culture for the District of Unna, Marion Freitag, Head of the Culture and Tourism Department, and the photographers of index.kollektiv e. V. Dortmund and curator Sally Müller will open the exhibition. Musical accompaniment will be provided by a trio from the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen. Admission to the museum is free on the opening day. Please note that seating is limited during the speeches. 
curator
Sally Müller 
opening times 
Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays | 10.30 a.m. – 5.30 p.m.

SUPPORTING PROGRAMME 
Public guided tours Exhibition
Sundays and public holidays | 11:30 a.m. | 1 p.m. | 2:30 p.m.
Group tours by arrangement

Further information
We are looking forward to see you! 

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RESTLESS MINDS - Exhibition Opening 
On June 15, 2025, we celebrated the opening of our new exhibition RESTLESS MINDS at different e.V. in Dortmund, as part of the f² Fotofestival Dortmund 2025.
It was a wonderful and emotional day full of inspiring conversations, encounters, and shared reflections. Visitors, participants, and members of ADHS Dortmund e.V. engaged in an open dialogue about the everyday realities behind the topic. We are deeply grateful to everyone who came, supported us, and helped make this exhibition a meaningful and heartfelt experience.
Here are a few impressions from the vernissage. Photos: Maximilann Mann​​

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we invite: exhibition RESTLESS MINDS during f² Fotofestival
period
13.06. - 25.06.2025
opening
SU 15.06.2025, 11:00 
location
different e.V. | Humboldtstraße 47, 44137 Dortmund
AD(H)S is a well-known phenomenon, but women are often diagnosed late. While it is associated with hyperactivity in men, the symptoms in women usually manifest themselves more subtly, for example through inner restlessness or chronic excessive demands. The late diagnosis can have considerable consequences for self-image, career and social relationships.

The multimedia photography exhibition ‘RESTLESS MINDS’ by index.kollektiv e.V. is dedicated to AD(H)S in women in adulthood. In collaboration with ADHS Dortmund e.V., the works on display shed light on individual symptoms, adaptation strategies and social expectations.

The exhibition invites visitors to engage with the stories on display and to look at AD(H)S beyond the usual clichés. Photographs, texts and participatory elements combine documentation with personal experience and make the effects of AD(H)S in everyday life emotionally tangible. ‘RESTLESS MINDS’ challenges stereotypical perceptions and visualises the diversity of symptoms.
 
We are index.kollektiv e.V. - an association of six documentary photographers who are dedicated to social issues.
PHOTOGRAPHERS & CURATORS
Catharina Cerny 
Chayenne Freitag 
Oxana Guryanova 
Carmen Körner 
Cynthia Ruf 
Annelene Warnecke 

opening times 
13.06. – 15.06.: FR - SU 11:00 - 18:00 
19.06. – 25.06.: TH – WE 15:00 - 19:00 
TH 19.06.2025 (holiday) regulary open
free

SUPPORTING PROGRAMME 
SA 14.06.2025, 13:00


Symposium 
SA 21.06.2025, 16:00 
Open discussion with the psychological psychotherapist Ralf Jostes and the chairwoman of ADHS Dortmund e.V., Birte Frenzel.
The focus will be on the particular challenges and experiences of women with AD(H)S in adulthood. Ralf Jostes will contribute his expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD and autism in adults. Together with Birte Frenzel, he will shed light on different perspectives from practice, self-help and everyday life in an open exchange.


Finissage

WE 25.06.2025, 16:00 


project participants: 
Birte (Vorstand ADHS Dortmund e.V. & Projektteilnehmerin)
Maureen (Projektteilnehmerin) 
Cathrin (Projektteilnehmerin)

We are looking forward to see you! 
index.kollektiv e.V.​​​​​​​
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Exhibition Opening: INDEX.KOLLEKTIV – Volume 1
On May 16, 2024, the cultural center Depot Dortmund hosted the opening of the exhibition Volume 1 by index.kollektiv e.V.. The show, which ran until June 1, 2024, presented six documentary photography projects connected by a strong interest in social realities and personal stories.The exhibition explores how individual life circumstances and experiences shape the way we think, feel, and perceive the world today.
In 'a goat is not a chicken', Carmen Körner documents the life of a large family living almost self-sufficiently on a remote farm in Portugal. The work reflects on sustainability, freedom, and the meaning of simplicity.
Chayenne Freitag’s project 'O.' is an intimate dialogue between grandmother and granddaughter. Through photographs and short conversations, it tells a story about intergenerational love, memory, and the passage of time.
In 'Come back home, my land, I pray' Oxana Guryanova reflects on the moral and emotional dilemmas faced by Russians after the invasion of Ukraine. Her portraits and interviews explore themes of loss, identity, and belonging.
Annelene Warnecke’s project 'Deda i Baba' portrays an elderly couple living in rural Serbia. Her photographs capture their rhythm of life, their labor, and their deep connection to the land - a tribute to memory and continuity.
'In creating something leads to nothing', Cynthia Ruf examines the relationship between mental health, depression, and artistic creation. Her conceptual series brings together portraits, still lifes, and textual fragments collected among young artists.
Finally, Catharina Cerny’s 'Haus Nobis' documents a unique community near Münster, where residents are fighting to preserve their shared home from commercial sale - a story about solidarity, activism, and collective responsibility.
The opening evening at Depot Dortmund was filled with curiosity, warmth, and meaningful conversations -a vivid reminder of how photography can connect people and spark dialogue.
Here are some impressions from the vernissage. Photos: Maximilian Mann
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"VOLUME 1" exhibition at Kulturort Depot Dortmund e.V. 

currently we are exhibiting our first show together as index.kollektiv e.V.
Vernissage 16.05. 19h 
Guided Tour 26.05. 16h 
Finissage 01.06. 18h 

opening hours: 
Thursday & Friday 17-20h 
Saturday & Sunday 15-18h 

at Kulturort Depot Dortmund e.V. 
Immermannstraße 29 
44147 Dortmund
How has the identity of Russian immigrants in Europe changed? What are the advantages or disadvantages of a child growing up on a self-sustainable farm? What do mental illnesses have to do with art?
From 16 May to 1 June, we are exhibiting our work at Kulturort Depot Dortmund e.V. with the title "Volume 1". Our six photographic positions show a wide range and diversity of documentary works. They are focussed on people, examining how individual circumstances and the past influence how we think, feel and live today. What unites the exhibited work is the personal connection to the projects.

Vier der sechs ausstellenden Fotografinnen des index.kollektiv e.V. (von links): Cynthia Ruf, Chayenne Freitag, Catharina Cerny, Carmen Körner. Foto: Kathrin Rittgasser

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