Steve McCurry & Wolfgang Binding

Under the patronage of Dr. Tim Grüttemeier, the StädteRegion Aachen is organizing a four-week photography festival for the first time. Inspired by well-known festivals such as Les rencotres de la photographie in Arles or the European Month of Photography, almost 500 photographs will be on display in 16 exhibitions and at 14 locations in Monschau, Roetgen and Aachen in parallel.

As part of this festival, we are showing a double exhibition of photographs by US Magnum photographer Steve McCurry (* 1950 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and sculptures by Professor Wolfgang Binding (* 1937 in Munich). We look forward to your visit, the exhibition is open to the public during our regular opening hours.

The festival is the result of an initiative of the Fotografie-Forum in Monschau and the Stabsstelle Kultur of the StädteRegion Aachen. During the preparations, more than 21,000 files were viewed by the curator Dr. Nina Mika-Helfmeier in order to form thematic focal points, which will be presented at the various exhibition venues under the theme "Alliances". International photography greats such as Roger Ballen, Nomi Baumgartl, Lillian Birnbaum, René Burri, Anton Corbijn, Elliott Erwitt, Stuart Franklin, Hannes Kilian, Thomas Höpker, Martin Parr, Steve McCurry and many more will meet equally outstanding photographers from the city region and the surrounding area. New perspectives arise from the exciting interplay of different positions and focal points. Alliances tries to bring the different artists together and to inspire each other. As part of the festival, two high-profile exhibitions on Stefan Moses and Donata Wenders will be presented at the Fotografie Forum in Monschau.

For four weeks there will be events, workshops and artist talks at the participating venues.

The festival is a cooperation of the Fotografie Forum in Monschau with Magnum Photos Paris and numerous galleries and lenders. A catalog will be published for the festival.

The festival is sponsored by the LVR and will take place every two years in the future.

Participating venues and galleries (download flyer)

• Fotografie Forum, Monschau
• Aukloster (Kreuzgang), Monschau
• MONART Galerie, Monschau
• Galerie Einmalich, Roetgen

• ARTCO GALLERY, Aachen
• Galerie am Elisengarten, Aachen
• Galerie Freitag 18.30, Aachen
• Galerie S., Aachen
• Raum für Kunst, Aachen
• Raum für Gäste, Nr. 23 & 32, Aachen
• Stadtbad, Aachen
• Burg Frankenberg, Aachen
• Raststätte, Aachen
• Pfarrkirche St. Jakob, Aachen