A Cultural History
April 2–October 25, 2026
Bonn 53113
Germany
Hours: Tuesday and Thursday–Sunday 10am–6pm
Wednesday 10am–9pm
The history of sex work can be traced from well before ancient times to the present day. The prevailing image of humanity, the values that held sway, and who wielded power can all be seen in how society dealt with sex work. In some periods, sex work represented one of the few ways for women to generate an independent income. Its history has mostly been told from an external perspective. For a long time, hetaerae, prostitutes, courtesans, and nude dancers primarily played a motif role in the visual arts and were, at best, perceived as muses. The exhibition Sex Work. A Cultural History tells this story differently: Together with a collective of sex workers engaged in research, the Bundeskunsthalle (The Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany) presents art, cultural history, and archival material, guided by a central principle: Nothing about us without us! The exhibition invites visitors to take a closer look and gain new insights into a subject that is all too often overshadowed by prejudice and taboos.
Curators: Johanna Adam, Ginger Angelica Rose, Ernestine Pastorello, Maximilian Reifenröther, Objects of Desire
Exhibition publication: Sex Work. A Cultural History, DISTANZ Verlag, Berlin, 192 pages, soft cover, ISBN 978-3-95476-850-9
Sex Work. A Cultural History is a further development of the exhibition With Legs Wide Open—A whore's ride through history, Schwules Museum Berlin, 2024
Also on view at the Bundeskunsthalle in 2026:
Peter Hujar. Eyes Open in the Dark
Until August 23, 2026
Amazônia. Indigenous Worlds
Until August 9, 2026
NEVER AGAIN! Against Forgetting the Crimes of the Nazi Regime
October 9, 2026 to May 2, 2027
Avant-Guardistas. 100 Years of Latin American Female Artists
December 4, 2026 to March 29, 2027
For the most up to date schedule, please go visit here.
The exhibition Sex Work. A Cultural History is part of Bundeskunsthalle's theme year What We Have in Common. Dimensions of Social Sustainability which focuses on the question of how art, education, cultural exchange and social dialogue can help bring about an environment that benefits everyone.
Director: Eva Kraus
Managing director: Oliver Hölken
Press officer: Sven Bergmann, kommunikation@bundeskunsthalle.de
The Bundeskunsthalle is supported by
Der Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien
