SIMON SCHULTZ Hammerschlag

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.

More information on guided tours and artist talks can be found on the website.