BONN.- What happens when the marks drawn on the human body for medical treatment become the starting point for an artistic investigation into life, vulnerability, and survival? At Kunstmuseum Bonn, internationally acclaimed German photographer Herlinde Koelbl explores this question in "Thread Crosses for Life," a deeply personal exhibition bringing together portraits and recorded conversations with 40 individuals who have experienced cancer.

On view from November 8, 2026, through May 16, 2027, the exhibition represents Koelbl's latest body of work and marks its first presentation at the museum. Combining photography with intimate testimonies, the project addresses an illness that affects countless lives yet remains surrounded by silence, discomfort, and social taboos.

The origins of the series lie in Koelbl's own experience. In 2019 and 2020, the artist underwent chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation treatment after being diagnosed with cancer. During radiotherapy, she became fascinated by the small cross-shaped markings placed on her skin to guide the precise positioning of radiation beams. Intended to help doctors deliver potentially lifesaving treatment, these seemingly simple marks carried profound symbolic meaning for the artist.

They also reminded Koelbl of an earlier photographic project, "Targets," for which she had traveled to nearly 30 countries documenting shooting targets and crosshair markings at military firing ranges. The visual similarity between the two systems of marking struck her as both disturbing and revelatory.

"When I received these markings myself, they reminded me of my previously completed photographic project 'Targets,'" Koelbl explains. "There, they serve the purpose of killing; in my case, they served survival."

This contrast between destruction and preservation became the conceptual foundation of her new work. While the crosshairs of a weapon identify a target for elimination, the markings of radiation therapy identify a place where medical intervention may preserve life. In Koelbl's photographs, the same visual language acquires radically different meanings depending on its human context.

Rather than concentrating exclusively on the medical procedures themselves, Koelbl turned her attention to the people who had undergone them. She sought participants across different generations and social backgrounds, interviewing individuals who had experienced cancer and photographing the physical markings associated with their treatments.

The resulting project combines the intimacy of personal testimony with the directness of photographic portraiture. Participants speak about the fear and uncertainty that accompany a serious diagnosis, the physical and emotional transformations brought about by treatment, and the ways illness can alter relationships, priorities, and perceptions of the future.

Their stories also reveal hope, confidence, and the discovery of new perspectives. Koelbl photographed the participants after they had recovered, creating portraits that reflect both the lingering impact of illness and the strength of those who have lived through it.

A central ambition of the exhibition is to encourage more open conversations about cancer. For many participants, speaking about their experiences was itself a meaningful part of the project.

"For many participants, talking about it was itself an important step," the artist explains. "They want to help ensure that cancer can be discussed more openly, without shame, without evasion, as a natural part of life."

This willingness to confront difficult subjects has long characterized Koelbl's artistic practice. Born in 1939, the German photographer, documentary filmmaker, and author has built an internationally recognized career through extended photographic studies that examine individuals within their social, political, and psychological environments.

Her celebrated project "Traces of Power," begun in 1991, investigates the relationship between personal identity and the exercise of political authority. Across her work, Koelbl has repeatedly demonstrated an interest in what time, circumstance, and experience reveal about the human condition.

In "Thread Crosses for Life," that approach takes on particular emotional resonance. The artist is not observing an unfamiliar subject from a distance but examining an experience she has herself endured. Her personal history provides an entry point into the lives of others, allowing individual stories to become part of a broader exploration of mortality, dignity, and resilience.

The exhibition also raises important questions about the relationship between medical and artistic images. Within a hospital, markings on the body serve an exact clinical purpose. Through photography, those same markings become visual evidence of the intersection between the physical body, technological intervention, and personal experience.

Koelbl's portraits invite viewers to consider the people behind the medical procedures and diagnoses. Rather than reducing her subjects to their illnesses, she emphasizes their individuality and the complexity of their lives.

The exhibition has been organized in cooperation with the German Cancer Society and the German Cancer Aid Foundation. Extending the project beyond the gallery spaces, information stations in the museum foyer provide visitors with educational resources about cancer.

A series of accompanying public programs will offer additional opportunities for conversation and reflection. Representatives of cancer information and support organizations will participate in discussion events, while guided tours will examine the exhibition from both medical and art-historical perspectives.

The exhibition is curated by Dr. Claudia Emmert. An accompanying publication, "Thread Crosses for Life," will be issued by Herder Verlag, featuring contributions by Horst Bredekamp and Daniel Zips.

Koelbl, who received the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art in 2025, continues to demonstrate the capacity of documentary photography to engage with some of society's most sensitive subjects.

Ultimately, "Thread Crosses for Life" is more than an exhibition about cancer. It is an examination of the fragile boundaries between illness and recovery, fear and hope, and the human body's vulnerability and capacity for endurance. By transforming the visual language of medical treatment into an artistic meditation on survival, Koelbl creates a space in which difficult experiences can be acknowledged, shared, and understood.

"Herlinde Koelbl: Thread Crosses for Life" is on view at Kunstmuseum Bonn through May 16, 2027.