A controversial photograph by world-renowned American artist Nan Goldin has been removed from an exhibition at Gallery Ahlers in Göttingen, Germany, following police intervention. The photograph, which depicted unclothed children, was taken down despite being displayed in major international museums, including London's Tate Modern, where courts have defended its artistic merit under freedom of expression laws.
Nan Goldin, considered one of the most significant photographers of our time, recently had a major retrospective at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, with the catalog printed by Göttingen-based Steidl publishing house. Gallery owner Oliver Ahlers opened his exhibition of Goldin's work on Friday, September 5th at 7 PM, featuring ten photographs from the extensive collection of a Swiss collector.
Goldin's photographs appear deceptively casual, as if taken spontaneously during gatherings with friends. Her work captures intimate moments - sometimes joyful, sometimes melancholic - all preserved through her lens as visual memories. The artist has consistently focused on social themes, documenting the LGBTQI community as early as the 1980s, long before such terminology for diverse sexual orientations became widely accepted.
Throughout her career, Goldin has unflinchingly documented the lives and deaths of her friends within these communities. Her camera captured physical abuse, the devastating spread of HIV, and the harsh consequences of drug addiction. Goldin herself struggled with heroin addiction for several years before overcoming it, only to later fall into an unintended dependency on prescription medication.
Following surgery, Goldin was prescribed the painkiller OxyContin, a synthetic opioid that triggered a wave of addiction across the United States. This personal experience led her to establish the activist group P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now), which campaigned against the billionaire Sackler family whose pharmaceutical company manufactured and aggressively marketed the drug. The campaign became particularly significant because the Sacklers were major donors to numerous prestigious international museums.
Goldin's activism proved remarkably successful, forcing museum directors to remove the Sackler name from their institutions. This achievement, combined with the controversial opening of her exhibition at the Neue Nationalgalerie - where she sharply criticized Germany's relationship with Israel - earned her the top spot on Monopol art magazine's monthly ranking of the most influential artists worldwide.
Gallery owner Oliver Ahlers described the transportation of the works from Switzerland as both expensive and complex due to strict border regulations. Originally, eleven photographs were planned for the exhibition, but police intervention reduced the number to ten. Ahlers reported that authorities removed one image showing unclothed children, and he immediately agreed to exclude it from the display.
The decision highlights the ongoing tension between artistic freedom and local regulations. Notably, the same photograph is currently exhibited at London's Tate Modern, one of the world's most prestigious art institutions, where British courts have ruled in favor of artistic freedom. This contrast underscores the varying approaches different countries take toward controversial art.
The photographs displayed at Gallery Ahlers exemplify Goldin's signature style - deeply personal images that appear unstaged and spontaneous. Through these snapshot-like compositions, she achieves remarkable intimacy with her subjects without exploiting or condemning them. Her work captures private moments without voyeurism, radiating warmth and genuine affection for the people she photographs.
The exhibition, located at Gallery Ahlers on Düstere Straße 21 in Göttingen, will run at least until Christmas, according to Ahlers. Despite the controversy surrounding one removed piece, the remaining ten photographs offer visitors insight into Goldin's groundbreaking documentary approach and her compassionate portrayal of marginalized communities.
