Tribe

Tribe

The photographic work of German-Croatian artist Matthias Dürr explores complex themes of identity, heritage, and belonging. The exhibition highlights the fragile reality of queer visibility: the need for expression and openness alongside the simultaneous need or even pressure to conceal. Dürr depicts a constant play between openness and protection, visibility and invisibility, that continuously shape the lives of queer individuals.

Exhibition

The exhibition showcases portraits of members of the LGBTIQ+ community, who still face prejudice and discrimination in Croatian society. Dürr uses traditional Croatian costumes, usually worn according to strict rules (gender, occasion, and social context), and consciously breaks these rules by deconstructing the costumes and interchanging male and female articles of clothing. This visual metaphorical approach emphasizes the broader social frameworks that limit identity and expression.

In this way, the artist draws on a long tradition in art history of deconstructing symbols deeply rooted in cultural memory, challenging rigid, normative views of gender, sexuality, and national identity. The exhibition offers reflection on possibilities of belonging and acceptance in a society that is still grappling with its own prejudices. It invites the audience to consider the tension between tradition and personal freedom and opens a dialogue on how traditions can be reexamined with respect while also serving as the foundation for new personal narratives.

Matthias Dürr

Matthias Dürr, born in Frankfurt on the Main in Germany, grew up as a gay boy in a German-Croatian family, with a German father and a mother from Zagreb. After years of professional freelancing, he obtained a degree in visual communication with a focus on photography from Hochschule Darmstadt in 2016. Photography (digital and analog), video, performance, and illustration were his driving forces during his studies. His life in Germany was marked by photography and freelancing, and in 2023, he moved to Zagreb with his partner to artistically explore the connections between heritage, culture, and identity.

Exhibition

The exhibition will be open until September 9, 2025, at @dorcolplatz. We look forward to your visit!