Opening of the photo exhibition Forst in Düsseldorf

Klaudia Zepuntke and Frank Schablewski at the opening of the exhibition

The exhibition “FORST” was opened by Düsseldorf’s deputy mayor Klaudia Zepuntke with the words: “Anyone who deals with Thomas Klingberg’s artificial work will not be surprised by the framework of this exhibition” in a factory hall, which was designed by forestry employees with utensils of their work. Axes, saws, tree trunks, firewood, splitting tools and more. Once again, the decision not to go to a gallery, but to present the social documentary photography series FORST, which shows people without work in a reintegration measure, at the place where the photographs were taken, was the right one. The visitors were impressed by the smell of the wood, the feel and the design of the factory hall. The exhibition of a total of 80 black and white photographs showing people affected by long-term unemployment at work in the reintegrating forestry work supplemented the very lovingly and effortfully designed factory hall and turned it into a total work of art.

The author Frank Schablewski surprised the guests with a spontaneous speech. “Nobody bowed to the torn down crown of an activity: the unemployed person was dethroned. The time has come to rearrange the signs of the times. It’s so beautifully written that a camel is more likely to go through a needle’s eye than a rich man to heaven. It shouldn’t put off a hereafter, but rather correct the imbalance in the present. In Thomas Klingberg’s pictures one can see in black and white what is hardly noticed in the grey tones of society”.

For the photo exhibition a → photobook has been published.

Guests young and old visited the FORST exhibition by Thomas Klingberg and signed the guest book.

Karin Rauer (right) from Kulturamt Düsseldorf

Brought many people interested in culture to the exhibition FORST – the shuttle bus of the “Kunstpunkte”

Entry from the guestbook. The visitors liked the exhibition concept very much.

A well-attended opening of the photo exhibition with many interested people

Photos: Aija Samina-Edelhoff