Gropius Bau

Peter Hujar / Liz Deschenes: Persistence of Vision

Black-and-white photograph by Peter Hujar: The upper body of a naked person is visible in the frame. A hand rests on the person’s neck, whilst the shoulders and chest are clearly defined. The background is neutral and evenly lit, which strongly emphasises the body and the lines of the pose.

Peter Hujar, David Wojnarowicz (Hand Touching Eye), 1981

© The Peter Hujar Archive / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026

Bringing together the works of Peter Hujar and Liz Deschenes, “Persistence of Vision” opens an intergenerational dialogue on photography. Working in New York City between the Stonewall uprising of 1969 and the onset of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Peter Hujar captured a pivotal cultural moment in piercing black-and-white photographs. In the exhibition, Hujar’s photographs are interspersed with contemporary works by New York City-based artist Liz Deschenes. These interludes invite viewers to pause, slow down and consider Hujar’s work in a new light.

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