SCHLAF. PORTRAIT AND SOUVENIRS
Sebastian Fritzsch
1 September— 23 November 2025
Opening: Sun 31 August, 11 a.m. — 5 p.m.

 

"Schlaf. Portrait and Souvenirs" presents photographs, collages, drawings, paintings and sculptural works by Cologne-based artist Sebastian Fritzsch (*1977). The exhibition explores questions of protection, safety and refuge. The theme of sleep is directly related to this: How can I fall asleep in a place where I don't feel safe? What does it take to make a place safe? What keeps the imaginary monsters under our beds away—and how do they not find their way into our thoughts in the first place?

Fritzsch develops his own visual strategies to deal with these thoughts: Recurring signs, ornaments and symbols such as cocoons, igloos, thorns or spikes organise and demarcate - but they also protect. Viewers encounter these, for example, as overdrawings with ink on large-format photographs or as elements of photographic collages.

Fritzsch confronts the uncertainties of everyday life with his camera. He captures places, situations, objects, animals and people and uses them to develop his own visual atlas. The photographs are often taken intuitively and ‘in passing’ - as an act of reassurance and self-localisation: I have been here, I know my way around here.
Taken together, the countless photographs can be seen as landmarks that - like an anchor - offer protection and orientation. The more than 500 35mm photographs from the artist's archive thus form a coordinate system of their own, into which visitors can immerse themselves and participate in Fritzsch's inner states. Cityscapes and landscapes can be found here as well as the artist's family and friends.

The photographs on display do not claim to be documentary, but rather become independent works through artistic interventions - such as overpainting or collages - that open up new perspectives on community and belonging.

The curatorial process gave rise to the idea of creating a place in the exhibition where Sebastian Fritzsch can sleep well and safely. The fixtures in the exhibition architecture can also be used by visitors as a place of retreat - or even for sleeping. Each of the components used, such as the wooden floorboards, was specially designed by the artist. At the end of the exhibition, the floorboards can be taken home as mementos or souvenirs, where they will continue to serve as points of reference in Fritzsch's coordinate system.

To complement the exhibition, a series of seven zines will be published that focus on Sebastian Fritzsch's photographic oeuvre. The first three issues have already been published; the fourth will appear at the vernissage.
Numerous archive photographs by the artist will be presented on the specially created Instagram channel ‘portrait_and_souvenirs’.

The exhibition was curated by Timo Schmidt, with the collaboration of Meike Eiberger.

Sebastian Fritzsch, born in 1977, lives and works in Cologne. He studied theatre and cultural studies at the Humboldt University in Berlin as well as photography, artistic design and film direction at the HGB Leipzig and the Academy of Media Arts Cologne. His multifaceted work makes use of various media - including film, painting, drawing, collage and ceramics. His work has already been shown in numerous exhibitions in NRW, Berlin and beyond. In the Temporary Gallery, his photographic work takes centre stage for the first time.

Programm
Sun, 31 August, 11 a.m.
Opening

13 September / 11 October / 15 November, 3 p.m.
Curators' tour with Sebastian Fritzsch

Fri, 26 September
Book presentation—Nikolas Müller: Behindert die Anfänge — talk with Nikolas Müller, Sebastian Fritzsch, Michaela Predeick and Carmen Strzelecki

Fri, 17 October, 7 p.m.
Talk on the „collage" with Lucie Gorzolka, Timm Rautert and Berit Schneidereit

Sun, 26 October, 8 p.m.
Konzert mit Gregor Schwellenbach

Wed, 12 November, 8 p.m.
Screening „Der Wald in mir" at Kölner Filmhaus

Sun, 23 November
Screening of Kölner Kurzfilmfestival

Images
Sebastian Fritzsch: Schlaf. Portait and Souvenirs, Temporary Gallery 2025, installation views
Photos: Mareike Tocha