“#Looking Closer” can be seen at the Justus Liebig House from August 24th
With the exhibition “#Looking Closer: Together Against Patriarchal Violence,” the City of Darmstadt, Grandmothers Against the Right Darmstadt, and pro familia Darmstadt are focusing on gender-based violence and its societal causes. The exhibition opens on Monday, August 24, 2026, at 6 p.m. in the Justus Liebig House and will be on display there until September 7.
Mayor and Women's Affairs Officer Barbara Akdeniz will open the exhibition. Dr. Erik Sparn-Wolf, Regional Director for Darmstadt of the Paritätische Hessen (a social welfare organization), will give a further welcoming address. Afterwards, Miriam Seel, specialist advisor for sexualized violence at pro familia Darmstadt, will lead a tour of the exhibition.
“With the project ‘#Looking Closer: Together Against Patriarchal Violence,’ the Grandmothers Against the Right Darmstadt, pro familia Darmstadt, and the City of Darmstadt are taking a stand against gender-based violence,” explains Akdeniz. The exhibition and accompanying program aim to bring together professional and civil society perspectives and initiate a public debate on gender-based violence and its societal causes.
Everyday clothing and reports from those affected
At the heart of the project is the traveling exhibition "What I Was Wearing," curated by Beatrix Wilmes . It features everyday articles of clothing complemented by anonymized accounts from victims of sexual violence.
The exhibition focuses in particular on the question "What were you wearing?" This question is repeatedly posed to victims of sexual violence and can lead to a shifting of responsibility for the crime from the perpetrator to the victim. The exhibition aims to expose and challenge such socially ingrained thought patterns.
According to the organizers, patriarchal violence is based on unequal power relations between the sexes. At the same time, traditional gender roles and expectations of masculinity can reinforce existing inequalities. The project aims to help identify such structures and clearly define responsibility.
The exhibition in the foyer of the Justus Liebig House, Große Bachgasse 2, can be visited on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Further guided tours with Miriam Seel will be offered on Thursday, August 27, from 5 to 6 p.m. and on Friday, September 4, from 3 to 4 p.m. Registration is not required. School classes and groups from the tenth grade onward are also welcome to visit the exhibition. They can register by emailing schulklassen.termine@hessen.profamilia.de .
Film, WenDo workshop and reading accompany the exhibition
The “#LookingForward” initiative is complemented by several events. On Sunday, August 30, at 2:30 p.m., the Mexican documentary “LUCHADORAS” will be shown at the Rex Cinema. It deals with femicides and their patriarchal and structural causes. The film focuses on three women in Ciudad Juárez who are fighting against a machismo-driven image of women. Afterwards, Camila López de Melo from the Federal Association of Women's Counseling Centers and Women's Helplines, along with freelance writer and moderator Andrea Hartmann, will participate in a discussion. Tickets cost €9.99, or €8.99 for concessions.
On Friday, September 4th, at 4:30 p.m., the workshop "WenDo – Assertiveness & Setting Boundaries" will take place at the Justus Liebig House for girls and women aged 16 and up. Led by WenDo trainer Doris Aubele, the workshop will focus on recognizing and asserting one's own boundaries, as well as developing strategies for handling difficult and boundary-crossing situations. Participation is free, but space is limited. Registration is required by phone at +49 6151 28 871 or by email to info@wildwasser-darmstadt.de
The accompanying program concludes on Saturday, September 5, at 6 p.m. with a reading by Asha Hedayati at the Justus Liebig House. The lawyer has represented women affected by violence in separation, divorce, and domestic violence protection proceedings for approximately ten years. She will read from her book "The Silent Violence" and discuss structural challenges in dealing with gender-based violence, as well as experiences from her professional practice. Admission is free.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/stip)
