D21 Kunstraum sees itself as a platform and experimental field for local and international artists. The f/stop – Festival für Fotografie Leipzig is a regional, national and internationally oriented festival for photography that not only cultivates a discursive approach, but also connects opposites: East and West, local and international, subject-specific and target group-wide, emphasising the process but also putting forward theses and thus questioning the core as well as the limits of the medium.
further information
As part of the ALIEN theme, the f/stop – Festival für Fotografie Leipzig is looking for curators who will explore this topic in their exhibition concept through the work of young East German photographers.
The alien appears in various art and cultural forms such as theatre, games, visual arts and literature and is strongly linked to debates on identity and empowerment. The annual theme of D21 is about the idea of the “alien” as an image for the “foreign”, but also about alienation, the alienating in the (supposedly) familiar.
What exactly is an alien? In English, the ambiguity of the term as “foreign, different” becomes particularly clear: “Aliens” are people who are not citizens or nationals of the country that sets itself apart: Citizens vs. aliens. The term “alien” here therefore primarily refers to those who are foreign (to us). The alien as we know it from science fiction films needs the addition “extraterrestrial life” or “alien life”. The term “alienated” describes very precisely how many people in marginalised communities describe their own role in a sexist, anti-feminist, homophobic, racist or anti-Semitically discriminatory society. The alien has therefore been used in queer theories since the 1960s, especially by LGBTQIA*, PoC and Black people, as an allegory for the feeling of being alienated and separated from a heteronormative society of white supremacy. Aspects of the allegory “alien” emerge as a foreign and self-designation, a term of struggle, empowering appropriation and structural criticism.
Unfortunately, people tend to feel empathy only for the closest, most similar circle and reject the supposedly foreign. We all othernise, compare ourselves with others and distance ourselves based on the idea that people and societies differ significantly from our own social group in terms of lifestyle, culture or other characteristics. This is an alienation that takes place in the centre of society, be it because of gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, ethnicity, nationality, social position within a society, or even because of supposed biological differentiation criteria between people. People of certain skin colours and identities are made invisible or particularly exposed through bias, which makes them susceptible to violence through racism and anti-Semitism, exclusion and violent crime.
The specific exhibition concept will be developed in a moderated process after the curators have been selected. The f/stop management team values openness and willingness to cooperate, as well as curiosity about working in a moderated process and a team with other curators. The f/stop management team also values a good knowledge of the young photography scene in eastern Germany with an eye for the broad spectrum of photography. The developed concept should be within a budget of max. €25,000. The exhibition will be implemented in collaboration with the f/stop team and will be displayed at a festival location in the Leipzig city area, which is yet to be determined.
Application
1. Curatorial portfolio with the following information:
• Description of your own practice (1 A4 page)
• Presentation of exemplary exhibitions/projects that are relevant to the call for applications, including exhibition views, list of artists, budget
• CV
2. Letter of motivation for the desired curation
Please send everything in one complete PDF (no individual pages) (max. 10 pages; data volume max. 12MB) or use a permanently usable download link; please provide time-based media such as video/sound exclusively as a link (do not send original files!)).
The realisation of the project is subject to funding. Submissions can be sent in German or English to: office@d21-leipzig.de by 15.02.2026. Submissions can be sent in German or English to office@d21-leipzig.de by 15 February 2026. The selection will be made by the f/stop team.