QueerHistoryMonth | Hammerschlag | Ausstellung & Performance

In the organizer's words:

QUEERHISTORYMONTH

QueerHistoryMonth will take place in Hamburg from May 1 to 31, 2026(www.queerhistoryhamburg.de). Various events as part of the festival will bring the history(ies) of the queer community in Hamburg to life. Everyone is welcome - kings, queers, queens, allies, friends, families (of choice) and everyone in between and beyond!

The event

A performative exhibition about the "Hamburg Mirror Affair 1980", with a workshop and discussion program on visibility, art and activism.

Based on the legendary Hamburg hammer blow, Hamburg artist Simon Schultz maps the close interweaving of queer identity, activism and contemporary history. Until 1980, a police surveillance system in Hamburg toilets collected names for so-called pink lists - until queer resistance literally smashed a surveillance mirror with a hammer.

The performative exhibition with guided tour and workshops traces the scandal of the Hamburg mirror affair of 1980. The arc is drawn to today's burning issues of art, activism, self-censorship and social media. What was once the policeman behind the mirror is now the self-appointed tiktok moral guardians whose mirror tricks call for other hammers. Aesthetic historical research as a blasting exhibition: watch out for flying shards!

HAMMERSCHLAG is a walk-in installation that the public can discover on their own or experience as a guided tour. Talks, panels and workshops will also take place in the setting of the installation, linking the history of the surveillance scandal to the present day. An overview of all events as well as details on dates, tickets and prices can be found at Kampnagel.

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Date:April 16 to April 19, 2026 (sic!)

Location: Kampnagel - K4, Jarrestr. 20, 22303 Hamburg

Organized by: Simon Schultz and Kampnagel

A visit to the exhibition is free of charge. Registration is not required.

Participation in a guided tour or a talk with the artist is free of charge. Registration is required, the number of participants is limited. Please register via the Kampnagel ticket system.

Tickets: 5€-20€ for panels and workshop, tickets available in advance

The events and the exhibition are barrier-free accessible. A barrier-free toilet is unfortunately not available.

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Information

Photos and video recordings can be made as part of the public relations work for QueerHistoryMonth.

QueerHistoryMonth is only responsible for marketing and coordination and is not the organizer of the individual events.

All organizational and content-related tasks, including security, permits and insurance, are the sole responsibility of the respective organizers (responsible organization).

The QHM is not liable for the content, organization or damages that occur during the events. The organizers shall indemnify the QHM against all third-party claims, including those for injury, property damage or loss.