The exhibition "MitMenschen – From Hippies, Nuns, and Acrobats" showcases an important part of the photographic oeuvre of Thomas Hoepker. It was only in July 2024 that he passed away at the age of 88, making the exhibition, curated by his niece Sonja Kruchen the year before his death, a special tribute: largely unknown images were "rediscovered" in his archive. At the center of attention is the human being, whose multifaceted everyday life tells a variety of situations and events and whose visualized stories sometimes read like a book.

As a photojournalist, Thomas Hoepker traveled around the globe, documenting poverty, hardship, and famine, but also the beauty of nature and human existence. Hoepker's interest consistently lies with people and societal issues. He is a humanist whose photographic approach is often associated with "concerned photography," social documentary photography. His always observant and sensitive eye captures politically and socially critical images, where a good dose of humor also finds its place. The presented images mostly depict everyday scenes, funny situations or people, landscapes, quirky architectures, or simply graphic scenes. The list of situational comedy that prompts a smile is long. One thing is made particularly clear by the images: they show a photographer behind the camera who knows how to capture images of society with a thoughtful composition, stylistically humorously, subtly, and relatively calmly.