6 Friedberg-Chicago, the first institutional solo exhibition by German-American artist James Gregory Atkinson, illuminates a part of African-American-German history on a personal, social, and political level. In the exhibition, the artist presents his new film of the same name, which was shot at Ray Barracks, a former US Army Base in Friedberg. It was made in collaboration with dancer and choreographer Josh Johnson and harpist and singer Ahya Simone, among others. The exhibition also presents a non-linear archive that explores the history of Black soldiers in Germany and their descendants, which Atkinson developed in collaboration with Eric Otieno (sociologist and political scientist) and Mearg Negusse (art historian).

James Gregory Atkinson (b. 1981 in Bad Nauheim, Germany) studied with Douglas Gordon at the Städelschule, Frankfurt, and received fellowships and artist residencies at Villa Aurora, Los Angeles (2016), the Jan Van Eyck Academy, Maastricht (2017), and a studio fellowship from the Hessische Kulturstiftung in New York (2018).

An exhibition by Dortmunder Kunstverein sponsored by the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation as part of the "Catalogs for Young Artists" grant.

The film production has been supported by Hessische Kulturstiftung, Goethe-Institut and Villa Aurora.

Further information about the exhibition and the supporting program can be found here (in German only).