50_15

Michel Kekulé

2022 — Mediterranean

About this series

The documentary photography series 50_15 by Michel Kekulé is a stark visual testimony to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean.
It documents a rescue mission by the Sea-Watch 3 off the Libyan coast in the spring of 2022, during which at least 15 people lost their lives. The sober title 50_15 refers to the brutal numbers of survivors and the dead.
Since 2014, the route across the European Mediterranean has led more than 30,500 people fleeing their countries to their deaths.
A mass dying on Europe’s doorstep, while Fortress Europe continues to keep its doors shut.
At the same time, the discourse on migration is increasingly shaped by right-wing populist forces gaining ground across many European countries. Through targeted agitation against migrants – spread by media and politics alike – these movements fuel fear and rejection, blocking pathways to solidarity and deepening the humanitarian catastrophe.
The series not only exposes the tragic consequences of these policies, but also confronts the indifference with which this dying – and the ongoing dehumanization of people on the move – is accepted.

Photographer: Michel Kekulé
Nationality: German
Based in: Berlin, Germany
Website:  michelkekule.com
Instagram: @michelkekule

Michel Kekulé was born in Fulda in 1991 and grew up as the child of a family with roots in both East and West Germany, experiencing the realities and traces of a formerly divided country. He currently lives in Berlin.
Kekulé’s focus lies on documentary photography and the exploration of socio-political issues. His works are characterized by an intense engagement with societal questions and provide insights into various life worlds. His core themes include migration and the examination of East Germany, often including perspectives that make social inequalities visible.
In addition to participating in artist residencies and winning photographic awards, he has been able to showcase his works in group and solo exhibitions and publish them in the international press. Since 2021, he has been studying at the Ostkreuzschule für Fotografie in Berlin. He is a student in the class of Ina Schoenenburg and Peter Bialobrzeski, graduating in 2025. In the fall of 2023, Kekulé founded the Re:Borders collective, funded by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Germany, Stiftung Kulturwerk and many others. This curatorial collective aims to blur the boundaries between visual art, political activism, transmedia happenings and campaigns. The exhibition “Re:Borders – An Indictment” marked the collective’s debut, followed by the Solidarity Letter campaign in collaboration with Sea-Watch e.V. and Seebrücke.
Kekulé originally trained as an emergency paramedic and has worked clinically and preclinically in this profession for over 10 years.