How we spend our leisure time is something we all grapple with constantly. Simply doing nothing? Hardly possible. Our lives have grown more hectic and demanding—well before the pandemic accelerated the trend. We're bombarded everywhere with increasingly thrilling, adventurous, and exotic ways to fill our free time. The pressure to keep pace and stay ahead is relentless. Leisure has transformed from a restorative pause after work into a heavily orchestrated mass phenomenon. During rush hours after work, on weekends, and holidays, beaches, pools, gyms, cinemas, and parks overflow with people. Everyone seeks maximum relaxation, self-improvement, and the greatest possible escape from daily routine.

The exhibition "A Day Off" at f³ – freiraum für fotografie playfully captures how leisure culture takes shape: indulgence, grilling, smoking, exertion, and full-throttle enjoyment are on full display. Some scenes feel impossible to imagine today. Others prove timeless: whether then or now, people seek the sun, catch the latest film, dance, and gather for bingo. Through the eyes of some of the world's most celebrated photographers, we witness how our leisure habits have evolved over the past century.

Works by: Diane Arbus, Katharina Bosse, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, Arthur "Weegee" Fellig, Bruce Gilden, Nan Goldin, F.C. Gundlach, Esther Haase, David Hockney, Thomas Höpker, Barry Kay, Peter Keetman, Barbara Klemm, Lisette Model, Martin Munkácsi, Martin Parr, Joel Sternfeld, and others

Curated by Natalja Aljasova

Concept by Natalja Aljasova and Jasmin Seck

Opening: March 14, 2024. Free admission.

f³ – freiraum für fotografie

Waldemarstraße 17

10179 Berlin

www.fcgundlach.de