The exhibition "Germaine Krull: Chien Fou" at the Museum Folkwang in Essen focuses on the work of the versatile photographer and author: the retrospective presents the power woman not only as a pioneer of the 1920s and 1930s, but also as a polyphonic chronicler of an eventful century. From November 28, 2025 to March 15, 2026, visitors can take a look at around 400 works by the visual artist. The exhibits include photographs, negatives and publications, as well as letters, reportages, biographical and fictional texts. The exhibits come from her estate, which has been kept at the Museum Folkwang since 1995.
With the title "Chien Fou", Krull's alter ego and French nickname, which she derived from the German "Zottel", it is clear that this show aims to present Krull not only as an avant-garde photographer, but also as an independent intellectual voice. The curators deliberately place her photographs and texts in a dialog. This allows visitors to understand how the cosmopolitan's diverse life shaped her artistic and journalistic work - from her student years in Munich to her work in Paris, Berlin, Moscow and her later exile in Southeast Asia.
