Art is political. Visibility is essential. Community is everything. This Pride Season, The (____) Gallery brings "EXISTENCE" to the queer heart of Hamburg. In St. Georg, the Crowne Plaza Hamburg–City Alster becomes an open space for queer art, dialogue, and connection. Discover works by international artists exploring identity, memory, the body, belonging, and queer visibility. More than an exhibition, it is a living community space, filled with conversations and shared experiences.

And when Pride week ends, "EXISTENCE" doesn't. The exhibition continues at the legendary M&V Bar, our home in St. Georg, where art meets queer life exactly where it happens. No entry fees, no gatekeeping, open to everyone who walks through the door. Because queer existence isn't limited to one week a year. Everyone is welcome. Come celebrate queer creativity, visibility, and the power of community. 

July 24 – August 2, 2026 | Crowne Plaza Hamburg–City Alster
July 31 – September 11, 2026 | M&V Bar, St. Georg

Kultur&Gut
in den Zeise Hallen
Friedensallee 7-9,
22765 Hamburg
www.kugu.space

Opening reception:
Fr, 26. June 2026 | 19:00 (7 pm)

Panel talk "Queer Art Between Love and Hate":
with Maxi Pichlmeier, Felix Kosok, Agatha Kosobucki
We, 1. July 2026 | 19:00 (7 pm)

Kultur&Gut
in den Zeise Hallen
Friedensallee 7-9,
22765 Hamburg
www.kugu.space

This is where it all began. Our first season confronted what queer lives are so often taught to carry in silence: shame, taboo, the weight of being defined by others. "POWER SHIFT" traced the radical journey toward one's own identity, from the first moment of doubt to the act of reclaiming oneself.

Across a range of media, the works told stories of being measured against norms that were never made for us, and of the rebellious decision to refuse them. But "POWER SHIFT" was never only about self-acceptance. It was about power: who gets to name us, define us, decide who we are allowed to be. And it was about taking that power back. From external determination to uncompromising self-determination. We name ourselves. We define ourselves. We take the power back.

Season 1: "POWER SHIFT"
August 9 – 11, 2024
Oberhafenquartier, Hamburg

Agatha Kosobucki / Arne Niehaus / Coarse / Daniel Torrent / Deni Horvatić / En Biel Seia / Erin Burrell / Eybaba / Giovanni "Crybaby" Dionisi / Hugo Gyrl / Leon Ferren Schumacher / Linda Chluba / Lukas Honnecker / Luke Carter / Maik Gräf / Marc Glasze / Matthias Scholz / Maxim Gregorek / Miel de Ideas / MIVO / Nicolae Negura / Peachy Keen / Rory Midhani / Sabine Thiede / Stef Mosebach / Studio Léveque / Victor Mateos Arellano / XO Henning

The (____) Gallery is a queer-led pop-up gallery that creates spaces for radical, uncensored art, beyond elitist structures and the traditional white cube. We bring queer art to where life actually happens: off-spaces, theatres, bars, festivals, stadiums.

As a platform for queer and marginalized artists, we center voices that are often ignored in the art world. At a time when queer artists and cultural workers are increasingly coming under pressure, queer art remains marginal within established institutions. Traditional aesthetics dominate; marginalized perspectives remain invisible.

We celebrate diversity, resistance, and creative freedom, uncompromisingly and politically. Our exhibitions challenge power structures and social norms, offering a stage for perspectives that don’t just demand change, but actively create it. Our work is about visibility, desire, vulnerability, and the power of never allowing oneself to be silenced. About radical tenderness. About queer joy as an act of resistance.

We believe in solidarity over separation: non-queer artists and allies are also invited to be part of a shared commitment to a more just, open future. Art can and should take a stand. For us, art is not a luxury product, but a tool for change. We believe in an art world that builds bridges instead of excluding – and that visibility alone is not enough. That’s why we actively advocate for fair pay, sustainable support, and real participation for queer artists.

Wolfgang Macht
Chairman