Members’ Assembly
A long-term photographic project by Maria Sturm
The members of a garage community usually meet once a year to discuss current issues, e.g. maintenance, work assignments or administrative matters. For her exhibition, Maria Sturm brings together people from dozens of garage courtyards on an extraordinary basis. In 2024, the Romanian-born photographer took portraits of 164 people with her analogue medium-format camera as she roamed the Chemnitz garage landscape.
Her photographs show people who are familiar with their surroundings and radiate a confident serenity. Behind every photo is an encounter, a conversation, an exchange, sometimes even a friendly relationship. The result is a photographic community portrait of the city of Chemnitz.
The exhibition can be seen from 17 January to 26 April 2025 in 50 Chemnitz retail outlets. In the second half of the year, it will be shown in the Garage Campus on Zwickauer Straße.
When?
17. January - 26 April 2025, shops in the city centre
09. May - 30 November 2025, Garage Campus, Chemnitz
Where? Shops, supermarkets and shops in the craft and service trades, to be announced, Chemnitz
Romanian-born photographer Maria Sturm (*1985) initially studied photography at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences before completing her MFA in photography at the Rhode Island School of Design on a Fulbright and DAAD scholarship. She portrays people in their socio-cultural environment with a particular sensitivity for the cracks and gaps in the carefully selected excerpts of reality. The fragile strength of her protagonists comes to light in a way that is both delicate and relentlessly expressive. Maria Sturm's work has already won several international awards, been published and shown in exhibitions.
- Humboldt und Agricola Buchhandlung, Am Rathaus 8
- Modesalon Hella Erler, An der Markthalle 18
- Pauls Boutique, An der Markthalle 18
- BLOB FASHION, Börnichsgasse 1
- Café Tee Lounge, Börnichsgasse 2a
- Lederpalette Wendel, Börnichsgasse 3
- Tinten-Toner-Tankstation, Hartmannstraße 7
- Filigran, Innere Klosterstraße 7
- Schmuckstück Chemnitz, Innere Klosterstraße 11
- Solekitchen, Innere Klosterstraße 11
- PLAZE, Innere Klosterstraße 13
- Volksbank Chemnitz, Innere Klosterstraße 15
- Suchsland Optik Chemnitz, Jakobikirchplatz 2
- GEMS Vintage & Secondhand, Johannisstraße 1
- Juwelier Roller, Markt 20
- Patch & Co. im TIETZ, Moritzstraße 20,
- Peek & Cloppenburg, Neumarkt 1
- Galerie Roter Turm Chemnitz, Neumarkt 2
- Buchzentrale Chemnitz, Rathausstraße 7
- Buchhandlung Max Müller (EVABU), Reitbahnstraße 21
- Weltenbaum - Der Baum Mit Herz, Reitbahnstraße 30
- Bürgerhaus City e.V., Rosenhof 18
- DECATHLON, Straße der Nationen 12
- Faire Welt Chemnitz, Straße der Nationen 12
- Maximilian Barbershop, Straße der Nationen 26
- Kult - Design - Unikate, Theaterstraße 38
- Lagatta, Webergasse 3
- S&S Herrenaustatter Chemnitz, Webergasse 5
- the ginger club, Brühl 32
- Mon Klamott, Brühl 46
- Spangeltangel, Brühl 47
- eisice Pinguin, Brühl 48
- A-B-C Textilpflege am Brühl, Georgstraße 20
- (smow) Chemnitz, Barbarossastrasse 39
- Lessing und Kompanie Buchhandlung, Franz-Mehring-Straße 8
- faden|geschichten, Weststraße 60
- Paisa, Paisa, Puschkin, Weststraße 78
- Gartenfachmarkt Richter, Weststraße 98
- Tuffner Möbelgalerie, Am Walkgraben 13
- Edeka E-Center Dietrich, Dresdner Straße 45
- Merian-Apotheke im Yorckgebiet, Fürstenstraße 143
- Friseursalon Belinda, Horst-Vieth-Weg 15
- Neefepark Chemnitz, Im Neefepark 3
- IKEA Chemnitz, Im Neefepark 5
- Jacques' Wein-Depot, Leipziger Straße 44
- Sachsen-Allee Chemnitz, Thomas-Mann-Platz 1b
- Vita Center Chemnitz, Wladimir-Sagorski-Straße 22
- ratiomat Einbauküchen, Zwickauer Straße 74
- Möbelhaus Stöckert, Zwickauer Straße 116
- Leitermann Fachmarkt, Zwickauer Straße 247c
Collect stamps in five participating shops and secure your exclusive multitool (while stocks last). You can pick up your multitool at the Chemnitz 2025 visitor centre: Hartmannfabrik, Fabrikstr. 11, 09111 Chemnitz
Garages can be found everywhere in Chemnitz: in the city centre, next to Wilhelminian-style villas, in former working-class districts and in the large prefabricated housing complexes. There are said to be almost 30,000 of these small buildings in Chemnitz. The people who use garages in Chemnitz, whether young or old, in the centre or on the outskirts - they all have their own stories. Together they make up Chemnitz, as members of a special community: a large garage community. What do they have to say? Listen for yourself!
