Miracles in Reverse

With “Miracles in Reverse”, the Kunstverein Nürnberg — Albrecht Dürer Gesellschaft is dedicating a first solo exhibition in Europe to the artist, musician and video pioneer Julia Heyward (b. 1949 in the United States, lives in Los Angeles), which will open in january 2026. Conceived in collaboration with the artist, the exhibition features albums, videos, texts and previously unseen photographs, as well as archival materials and performance documentation, offering insights into five decades of artistic creation. The exhibition will be accompanied by a publication in collaboration with the Westfälischer Kunstverein in Münster, where another solo exhibition will take place in spring 2026.

Throughout her career, Heyward has explored topical issues such as faith, class, gender, and strategies of (self-)mystification, establishing her as one of the most important figures in the New York underground scene of the 1970s and 1980s. Working under the pseudonym Duka Delight, she played a pivotal role in the New Wave and post-punk movements. As part of the so-called “Pictures Generation”, she incorporated new motifs and formats from mass media into her performances, photographs and videos – driven by a desire to reintroduce “narration, emotion, melody and light” (Heyward) into artistic work.
With a separate “listening space” and the presentation of a new concert performance, “Miracles in Reverse” places a special focus on Heyward’s musical work. The exhibition is complemented by a film programme and a comprehensive discourse and education programme.

Artistic direction: Nele Kaczmarek, Julia Heyward 
Exhibition: Kunstverein Nürnberg – Albrecht Dürer Gesellschaft, Nuremberg: 31.01.2026 – 19.04.2026