Franz Bahnner: The Hanging Ones

About the Exhibition

This exhibition presents work by Franz Wanner (b. 1975, Bad Tölz) exploring imperialist forced labor and the continuity of state power. It reveals how forced laborers were used in the war industry during the Nazi period, drawing a historical thread that extends to today. The exhibition's starting point is a pair of Plexiglas safety goggles excavated from the site of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. This material, used in the war industry, was used for aircraft windows during the Nazi period and today serves multiple purposes, from police shields to museum display cases. Wanner detaches these objects from their original function, transforming the gallery space into a crime scene. The exhibition explores the covert relationship between history, institutions, and contemporary politics, shedding light on the gap between the reality of the Federal Republic of Germany and its self-presentation. It includes about 20 works in total, organized into sections on the themes of forced labor and contemporary power structures. Visitors can grasp the exhibition's core message through the glasses and materials symbolizing the suffering of forced laborers and their historical legacy.