Shadows

In this exhibition the DFF – German Film Institute & Film Museum in Frankfurt am Main will bring art objects, films and media art works together for the first time in winter 2026 which address the phenomenon of shadows from various cultural perspectives.

Shadows result wherever objects obstruct light. It is no wonder that shadows often symbolise the “dark side” – also that of the human psyche. They can “foreshadow” death and danger, and consequently, are frequently used as a powerful aesthetic device in numerous works of art in many different genres. The narrative threads of the exhibition range from animated cave drawings (to which Plato’s cave allegory refers) to forms of Asian shadow theatre and European artistic traditions involving silhouettes and their shadows.

Film – one of the most influential art forms of the 20th and 21st century – produced some of the most visually stunning aesthetics with light and shadow. Often these cinematic masterpieces were the result of close collaboration between the director and cameraman and subsequently fuelled a wave of technical innovation, as did Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau & Karl Freund, Sergei Eisenstein & Eduard Tisse and Orson Welles & Gregg Toland. The exhibition also presents silhouette works by Lotte Reiniger. These are juxtaposed with pieces by the American artist Kara Walker which address the topic of slavery.

The exhibition also includes international perspectives thanks to cooperation with the Indian shadow theatre player Anurupa Roy and a partnership with the Australian Film Museum ACMI. A several-month-long film series, an extensive education programme and a catalogue will accompany and document the exhibition.

Exhibition curators: Daniela Dietrich, Stefanie Plappert
Artists: ACMI, Harun Farocki, Anurupa Roy, Fiona Tan, Kara Walker and others

Dates

18 November 2026 – 23 May 2027: Exhibition
DFF - Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum, | Frankfurt am Main