Climate change, a shift to the right, war in Ukraine and in the Strait of Hormuz, threats to intellectual work posed by artificial intelligence: current events seem to constantly confront us with alarming news. However, anger and fear often lead to a sense of hopelessness and being overwhelmed. As a way out of this anxiety, Aristotle’s *Poetics* presents catharsis in a work of art as a light in the darkness: catharsis is said to lead to liberation from one’s own emotions through empathy, thereby fostering foresight and enlightenment.

In the exhibition ‘Catharsis. The Light That Remains’, the five members of Streetcollective Dresden each present their own perspectives on how such a ‘purification’ from fear and anger in the face of the injustices of our current environment can be depicted visually. The concept of light takes centre stage here. Light appears not only as the fundamental principle of photography itself (phōs, Ancient Greek = light), but also, in a figurative sense, represents the hope that, in the wake of catastrophe, gives us the strength to carry on. The Streetcollective’s photographs thus depict a path through the turmoil of emotions – not a straight one, but one that always follows the light of the streets.

The Streetcollective Dresden was founded in 2023 as a community of street photographers with the aim of jointly raising the profile of street photography in Dresden and making it accessible to a wider audience. In keeping with the motto “Art from the street for the street”, its aim is to support charitable causes through its work. Each member of the collective interprets street photography in their own way, thus showcasing the full spectrum of the art form, from graphic works and socially engaged photography to street portraits.

Opening: Friday, 6 November 2026, 6–10 pm
Photo walk: Sunday, 29 November 2026, 2 pm, meeting point: Kulturpalast (followed by a get-together at GEH8)
Duration: 6 November 2026 – 21 February 2027
Where: GEH8 WERKRaum
Opening hours: Viewing of the WERKRaum by appointment via email or viewable at any time through the window on Gehestraße

Find out more about Tobias Bohnet here!

Find out more about StreetCollective here!

The WERKRaum exhibition is sponsored by teilAuto Carsharing. Many thanks!