The Kunstmuseum Bonn is presenting, for the first time, the latest series of works by the internationally renowned photographer and documentary filmmaker Herlinde Koelbl. The exhibition brings together portraits and interviews with 40 people living with cancer and focuses on one of the most common diseases of our time. With her new project, Koelbl breaks social taboos and offers a poignant artistic perspective on illness, vulnerability and hope.

The starting point for the work is her own battle with cancer in 2019–20. During her treatment, she was particularly struck by the markings used in radiotherapy – the so-called radiotherapy crosshairs, which serve to precisely align the radiation beams. The artist recognised a surprising connection to her earlier project “Targets”, for which she had photographed military shooting targets and crosshairs: there, they symbolise killing; in cancer treatment, they symbolise survival.

For the project, Koelbl spoke to people of different ages and backgrounds about their experiences with the disease. The resulting interview recordings, together with the striking portraits, bring to light personal stories of fear, hope, loss and renewed confidence. The result is a moving panorama of human vulnerability and strength – and a plea for a more open societal approach to cancer.

Herlinde Koelbl is one of Germany’s most prominent contemporary female photographers. She has gained international recognition for her long-term projects, such as “Traces of Power”. She has received numerous awards for her work, most recently the Bavarian Order of Maximilian for Science and the Arts in 2025.