Photography exhibition in the Freiheitshalle Hof

Information on the opening, special tour & collaboration with Central-Kino

Auf dem Bild sieht man Personen bei der Fotografie-Ausstellung — Foto (Tom Neumann © Stadt Hof): Besuch der Fotografie-Ausstellung

Since May 2025 and until 26 October 2025, the Department of Culture of the City of Hof has been showing the photography exhibition "Together" in the Freiheitshalle. The works of Ute Mahler and Werner Mahler can be viewed Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00.
The exhibition will be closed on the following dates due to events: 22 August up to and including 7 September, 11 September, 12 September, 18 September, 8 October and 10 October 2025.
Interested parties also have the opportunity to take part in special guided tours of the exhibition in the Freiheitshalle. Peter Nürmberger - former head of the cultural department of the city of Hof - will guide visitors through the exhibition on Sundays 21 September, 28 September and 5 October 2025 from 17:00. Advance booking is not necessary.

After the special tours, the Hof Central cinema will be showing films that focus on photography.
"DIE FOTOGRAFIN" (Ellen Kuras, 2023), "DAS SALZ DER ERDE" (Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, 2014) and "IN EINEM LAND, DAS ES NICHT MEHR GIBT" (Aelrun Goette, 2022) are impressive testimony to the passion for the camera and love of photography.

Tickets for the films are available for 7.00 euros each at Central-Kino.

Schedule:
Sunday, 21.09.2025
5 pm Special guided tour of the exhibition in the Freiheitshalle
7 pm Film screening of "DIE FOTOGRAFIN" in the Central cinema

Sunday, 28/09/2025
5:00 pm Special guided tour of the exhibition in the Freiheitshalle
7:00 pm Film screening of "THE SALT OF THE EARTH" at Central-Kino

Sunday, 05.10.2025
5:00 pm Special guided tour of the exhibition in the Freiheitshalle
7:00 pm Film screening "IN A COUNTRY THAT NO LONGER EXISTS" at Central-Kino

The photographers

Ute and Werner Mahler are two of the most outstanding German photographers, who were among the style-defining photographers of the East during the GDR era and today, as then, realise their humanistic view of the world in intensive photo projects. After reunification, they co-founded the OSTKREUZ photography agency in Berlin. The agency gave rise to the OSTKREUZSCHULE FÜR FOTOGRAFIE, one of the most important training centres for documentary photography, artistic photography and photojournalism in Germany.
A number of the most renowned institutions have already hosted Ute and Werner Mahler, including Deichtorhallen Hamburg in 2014, Gropius Bau Berlin in 2016, Kunsthalle Rostock in 2020, Kunsthalle Erfurt in 2024 and C/O Berlin in 2024. Now the Freiheitshalle Hof joins this list as an exhibition venue for the works of the Mahler couple.
The Hof exhibition shows 50 large-format prints from the work groups "Where the world came to an end", "Monalisen der Vorstädte", "Die seltsamen Tage" and "Mode FAZ-Magazin".
With this exhibition, the Cultural Office of the City of Hof is continuing the intensive exploration of the medium of photography that began with Barbara Klemm in 2012. The fact that Ute and Werner Mahler, a pair of photographers who work closely together and yet each have their own signature style and career, are on show is a particular highlight. The two photographic artists were honoured with the German Photographic Society's (DGPh) Culture Prize, the highest award in this field, as recently as 2023.
The exhibition is supported by Sparkasse Hochfranken.