Aline Papenheim
*1997, Germany (they/them)
Staged, Conceptual Photographer & Visual Storyteller
Between South Holland & Western Germany

Practise & Position
Imagine a world where we rethink ourselves, our relationships, and our place in the fragile ecosystem we all share.
This vision fuels my artistic practice, which challenges dominant Western constructs—human-centric narratives shaped by white, male perspectives. Through photography, I create safe spaces that offer glimpses into alternative perspectives, drawing mostly from queer theory and sociology.
As a neurodivergent and queer artist, I resonate with human biodiversity while protesting the very constructs that shaped me. This conflict drives my search for alternatives, explored through photography as an emotional, introspective practice.
Growing up in a rural German village, I had no access to conversations about gender, identity, or queerness. My journey as a photographer shifted my perspective—from adapting to questioning the known, and from rejecting to reimagining the unknown—allowing me to engage with a broader range of perspectives, even those that challenge my own.
Photography is my tool for alternative ways of seeing—encouraging diverse voices, fostering collaboration, and deepening reflection. I use staged photography to create experimental, fictional, and relational moments. My narratives take shape in books and installations, immersing audiences in different worlds. Guided by intuition, lived experience, and a fascination for creating emotions, I seek to foster deeper human connections.
Education & Work Experience

2023–today
M.A. Student, Photography & Society
Royal Academy of Arts, The Hague, Netherlands
2019–today
Freelance in Photography & Communicationdesign

2019–2023
Scientific Assistant, Photography Department
FH Aachen University of Applied Science, Germany

2017–2022
B.A. of Arts, Communicationdesign
FH Aachen University of Applied Science, Germany
graduated with the Badge of Honor of FH Aachen
2014–2017
Vocational Diploma & Training as a Design-technical-assistant
Berufskolleg Bergkloster Bestwig, Germany


Exhibitions

2024
06
00:05:59 (g)
Paradise, Den Haag, NL
in collabortation with Ambassade Van De Noordzee & Doggerland Foundation and MA Photography & Society: Ana Alves Francisco, Anastasia Miseyko, Andong Zheng, Azin Nafar Haghighi, Fabio Meinardi, Gundega Strauberga, Hana Selena Sokolović, Jeroen Zwaap, Marna Slappendel, Niside Panebianco, and Sarah-Rose Antoun.


03
Fragments in Transit (g)
Beetroot Studio, Thessaloniki, GR
in collabortation with MA Photography & Society: Ana Alves Francisco, Anastasia Miseyko, Andong Zheng, Azin Nafar Haghighi, Fabio Meinardi, Gundega Strauberga, Hana Selena Sokolović, Jeroen Zwaap, Marna Slappendel, Niside Panebianco, and Sarah-Rose Antoun.


2023
09
Nouvelles Masculinités (g)
Galerie M, Paris, FR
with Ava Bob, Auréline Roy, Alexandre Dinaut, Ame Blary, Anaïs Alaoui, Karine Coutet, Philippe Mirabeau and Sasha Mongin

08–09
Allianzen – Aachen Fotofestival 2023 (g)
Raststätte, Aachen, GER
with Iris Hilgers, curated by Nina Mika-Helfmeier

07–08
Up And Coming – Förderpreis für junge Buchgestaltung 2023 (g)
in collabortation with Gravur Verlag
einBuch.haus, Berlin, GER
with Schima Köchermann, Clara Happ, Franziska Junge, Marcel Raabe, Daniel Zakharov, Anna Herms, Matthias Hübner, Sarah Hübscher, and Christopher Kreutchen.

06
Modern Gender Exhibition and Book Tour (s)
in collabortation with Gravur Verlag
&wieder, Cologne, GER

06
Modern Gender Exhibition and Book Tour (s)
in collabortation with Gravur Verlag
Studio Hausen, Hamburg, GER

06
Modern Gender Exhibition and Book Tour (s)
in collabortation with Gravur Verlag
GE59, Berlin, GER

05
Modern Gender (s)
Galerie M, Paris, FR



2022

12
Fun in the Sun (g)
Schnörres, Cologne, GER
with Jakub Koncir, Kalouna Toulakoun, Mo Schmittem, Leo Drenker, Lisa Pröbsting, Chiara Baluch, Alexander Seichter, Henk Aaron Szanto, Leonie Braun, Niels Freidel, Ute Behrend, Pusher Tony, Thekla Ehling, Pol et Simon, Serena Dallabetta, Philipp Treudt, Wolfgang Zurborn, Saskia Kinast and Antonia Gruber



2021

09
Aachener Kunstroute (g)
BOA – Bunker of Art, Aachen, GER

09
Poebel (g)
BOA – Bunker of Art, Aachen, GER



2020

09
Aachener Kunstroute (g)
BOA – Bunker of Art, Aachen, GER

07
Urbane Nachwelt (s)
Glashalle Aachen, GER

06
Positur#1 (g)
Stadtteilzentrum Nordstadt, Hannover, GER
with Charmaine de Heij, Sebastian Neubauer, Helge H. Paulsen and Jean D. Sikiaridis
curated by Helge H. Paulsen


2019

05
Streaming Pictures (g)
MAKK, Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Köln, GER











Scholarships & Awards

2021–today
Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes

2023
Shortlisted by Förderpreis für junge Buchgestaltung

2022
 Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft, NRW
2022
Nominee German Design Award 2023 – Newcomer



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