These are the themes explored by French artist Nicolas Daubanes, whose work was recently exhibited at the Panthéon in Paris. The Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe now presents the first major solo exhibition of Daubanes’ work in Germany.

Through large-scale drawings, photograms, and installations, the artist reflects on forms of violence and oppression, but also on strategies of resistance and remembrance. Using materials such as iron filings and objects sourced from former prisons, Daubanes creates a striking and tangible approach to the past. His work spans an arc from Antiquity through German-French history during the Nazi era to the present day. At its core lies the question of how individuals assert themselves and make their voices heard within systems of injustice.