Current
Behind the Mirror. The 9th Marta Hoepffner Prize for Photography
July 12 – August 30, 2026
Since 2002, the Marta Hoepffner Society for Photography e.V. has awarded the “Marta Hoepffner Prize for Photography” every three years for contemporary black-and-white photography. The theme for the 9th award is “Behind the Mirror.” This year, for the first time, the award was presented twice: to Daniela Duckwitz and Zexuan Zeng.
The nature of a mirror seems to be that it reflects an image while simultaneously concealing what lies behind it. But what happens—
—when we break through the surface? Deeper realities and repressed images are often hidden away. Photography—especially black-and-white photography—has the power to bring precisely these invisible layers to the surface. It itself becomes a reflection
of the world, connecting the visible with the invisible. The submissions for the 9th Marta Hoepffner Prize are characterized by an impressive diversity of both personal and societal themes. They address, among other things, experiences of flight, war, and the history of migration. In addition to personal memories and aspects of the artists’ own family histories, however, an exploration of nature, mysticism, and spirituality also plays a role.
Prize winner Daniela Duckwitz explores the nature of memory. She is interested in how the past becomes visible in the present. Her series “frur” addresses the freezing of memories in images. Award winner Zexuan Zeng also engages with the past. He does not view photography—or the camera—as a tool for depicting reality, but rather as a means of constructing reality. Memory and identity, loss, and trauma are central themes of the photographic works presented in the exhibition.
The exhibition features the works of the two award winners, Daniela Duckwitz and Zexuan Zeng, alongside photographs by Jule Ehlenz, Alime Ertürk, Jette Held, Cenney Höhn, Reyhan Kolosoglu, Alexander Meyer, and Anika Spereiter.
Photographs by Marta Hoepffner
The exhibition also features works by the exhibition’s namesake. Displayed in the adjacent space, her works enter into a dialogue with contemporary approaches to black-and-white photography.
For the first time, the eight previous winners of the Marta Hoepffner Prize for Photography from the Hofheim City Museum’s collection will be featured together in a special exhibition. The works were donated to the Hofheim City Museum by the prize’s initiator, the Hofheim Rhein-Main Ladies Lions Club, or made available on permanent loan.
On display are award-winning works by Martin Brockhoff (2002), Marcin Nowicki (2005), Stephanie Tiedemann (2008), Christian Werner (2011), Christian Retschlag (2014), Chris Becher (2017), Nikolaus Stein (2020), and Iden Sungyoung Kim (2023).
Sunday, July 12, 2026, at 11:15 a.m.
Welcome Remarks
Daniel Philipp, First Deputy Mayor
on behalf of Mayor Wilhelm Schultze
Opening Remarks
Dr. Susanne Völker, Executive Director of the Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain
Ingrid Jureit, Förderkreis Stadtmuseum Hofheim am Taunus e.V.
Dr. Inga Remmers, Museum Director
Introduction to the exhibition
Ralf Dingeldein, Marta Hoepffner Society e.V.
Award Ceremony
Daniela Duckwitz
Zexuan Zeng
Musical Accompaniment: “
” Michael Gottmann, accordion;
Helmut Vogt, saxophone
Sentimental Value
The film tells the story of two sisters who, after their mother’s death, are forced to come to terms with their estranged father, a once-successful film director planning a comeback. This multi-layered family drama premiered at the 2025 Cannes International Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix.
Friday, August 21, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Filmpalast Hofheim, Theater 1
Price: €12, reduced rate €10
The event is presented in cooperation with Filmpalast Hofheim.
*Tickets for the film screening are available starting July 13, 2026, directly at the Filmpalast cinema, Chinonplatz 6, during opening hours, or online at www.filmpalast-hofheim.de. The ticket for the film screening also grants admission to the exhibitions for the 9th Marta Hoepffner Prize on that day. Please bring your ticket with you to visit the exhibitions.
When Sound Evokes Images—Visual Experiences Through Hearing
For musician, composer, and performer Willem Schulz, anything can serve as inspiration for a score: spaces, landscapes, moving themes, social situations, and art from other disciplines—such as photography, as seen here.
Friday, August 28, 2026, 8:00 p.m.
In cooperation with Kunstverein Hofheim e.V.
Advance tickets: 14 € / 10 € (members)
At the door: 16 € / 14 €
The event is presented in cooperation with Kunstverein Hofheim e.V.
*Tickets for the event are available in advance at www.kunstvereinhofheim.de or at the Tolksdorf bookstore starting 14 days before the event. Young people up to age 18 receive free admission with prior online registration. The admission ticket for the event also grants access to the exhibitions for the 9th Marta Hoepffner Prize on that day.