CAPTURED IN CODE: VIRTUELLE FOTOGRAFIE

Captured in Code: Virtual Photography combines curated image positions with interactive hands-on stations where visitors can try out photography in the worlds of digital games. Supplemented by workshops and guided tours, virtual photography can be experienced as an artistic and social practice.

Guided tours through the exhibition

On 13.06.2026 at 11 a.m. and on 19.06.2026 at 6 p.m., the curation team will offer guided tours (in German) through the exhibition. Participation is free of charge. For better planning, please register in advance by e-mail to diaskollektiv@gmail.com

Workshops

In addition to the exhibition, there will be an accompanying program with the curators Isabelle Hamm, Sebastian Möring and Thomas Spies. In two workshops, one in German and one in English, interested parties can try out in-game photography for themselves. The practical part of the workshops will take place in the co-production lab, while all participants will meet at the TREIBHAUS in the depot for theoretical input and a classification of their own virtual photographs in the exhibition context.

Off Script: In-Game Photography

In this hands-on workshop, we step inside Night City - the vibrant, contradictory metropolis of Cyberpunk 2077. We'll explore in-game photography as a critical practice - one that asks how virtual environments produce meaning, construct space, and mediate representation. Artist and researcher Natalie Maximova will share her work investigating the out-of-bounds spaces of video games, and introduce a range of critical approaches used by artists working with in-game photography. Participants will spend the core of the workshop exploring Night City with their own angle in mind, using the game's built-in photo mode. The workshop closes with a collective viewing and discussion. By the end, participants will have produced photographic work inside a virtual world, begun to develop a personal critical angle or question, and encountered new ways of thinking about what video games can be evidence of.

The workshop ends at Treibhaus Depot Dortmund, where the photographs of the participants will be discussed and displayed in the context of the Captured in Code exhibition.
Open to participants aged 18 and over. No prior experience required. Hardware and software will be provided, though you are welcome to bring your own laptop with Cyberpunk 2077 plus Phantom Liberty installed. Please apply here for the workshop.

Led by: Natalie Maximova
Language: English
Date: June 21, 2026, 11:00-14:30 Location: Koproduktionslabor / Leonie-Reygers-Terrasse 2, 44137 Dortmund

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On break: Introduction to virtual photography

This workshop offers an introduction to photography within computer game worlds. Participants will learn about an emerging practice, reflect on its cultural and artistic value and learn how to make the most of photography features in computer games. Virtual photography is the practice of capturing the fleeting visual moments of gameplay - interrupting the flow of the game for a shot. Like photography in the physical world, it serves both to preserve memories and to create independent artistic works. In addition to the creation of virtual photography, there will also be space to reflect on the aesthetic potential of this still young practice. The workshop will end at Treibhaus Depot Dortmund, where the participants' photographs will be discussed and presented as part of the Captured in Code exhibition. Participation from 18 years. No previous knowledge necessary. Hardware and software will be provided, but you can also bring your own laptop with Cyberpunk 2077 plus Phantom Liberty installed. Please register for the workshop here.

Leader: Prof. Dr. Federico Alvarez Igarzábal
Language: German
Date: 21.6.26, 14:30-18:00
Start: Koproduktionslabor / Leonie-Reygers-Terrasse 2, 44137 Dortmund, End: Treibhaus Depot Dortmund / Immermannstr. 29, 44147 Dortmund