To mark “Lower Saxony Day” from June 12–14 in Braunschweig, the exhibition presents works selected by a jury as part of a photography competition focusing on social engagement and volunteer work in the region.
At the same time, the photographic legacy of the artist Ommo Wille (1959–2024) will be introduced. Shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Ommo Wille extensively explored former border locations in the region and their structural ruptures.

The exhibition, titled “With a Little Help from Our Friends,” is held under the patronage of Braunschweig’s Mayor, Dr. Thorsten Kornblum. It features works selected via an open call photography competition on social engagement and volunteerism by a six-member jury of experts in photography, art, and journalism.

The impetus for the competition and the associated exhibition is the “Lower Saxony Day,” which will be held in Braunschweig for the first time from June 12–14, 2026. Celebrated annually as the “State Festival of Volunteers,” the event is dedicated to the region’s diversity and various aspects of civic engagement.

The exhibition showcases photographs and installations by Darya Boiko, Jessika Dirks, Mara Griem, Norbert Hillwig, Ulf Jasmer, Klaus G. Kohn, Matthias Langer, and Stefan Sobotta. These works, created both independently and specifically for the competition, utilize diverse photographic languages and stagings. Themes include portraits of people and their volunteer work (Klaus G. Kohn), aspects of club life using a soccer club as an example (Mara Griem), specific initiatives and engagements (Norbert Hillwig, Ulf Jasmer, Stefan Sobotta), and the socio-political movement “Letzte Generation” (Jessika Dirks). Additionally, the performance of Aeschylus’ play “The Persians” took place in 2008 as a project within the Theaterformen festival, involving approximately 400 citizens of Braunschweig; artist Matthias Langer created a large-format, long-exposure photograph for this project. Darya Boiko, another participant, captured narrative and abstract black-and-white scenes of social interaction in public spaces.

The project jury included:
Miriam Bettin (Director, Mönchehaus Museum Goslar), Michael Ewen (Board Member, Museum für Photographie Braunschweig e.V.), Barbara Hofmann-Johnson (Director, Museum für Photographie Braunschweig), Catherine Peter (Artist and Editor for Weltkunst, Berlin), Dr. Linda Sandrock (Research Assistant, Museum für Photographie Braunschweig), and Janek Wiechers (Cultural Journalist, NDR).

Friday, May 8, 2026, 7 pm
Opening reception
Welcome
Michael Ewen, Board Member, Museum of Photography Braunschweig e.V.
Anke Kaphammel, Mayor of the City of Braunschweig
Introduction
Barbara Hofmann-Johnson, Director, Museum of Photography Braunschweig

Sunday, May 9, 2026, 3 pm
Exhibition tour with participants (de)