TEACHING

In my seminars, we pursue the idea of an anthropological approach to drawing and painting: a turning toward the body, toward being human within this body, toward painting and drawing within this body. This is not necessarily expressed in the motif itself—it is the human gaze that is at the center. At the same time, there is a respect for its paths, its landscapes, both internal and external.

Painting defines transitions, verticals and horizontals, an inside and an outside, a before and an after. Its inherent quality is expansive—it creates space, unfolds outward. Expansion and growth move into a blind spot, a place without territories, which only becomes visible at the moment it is occupied.

We seek to make these propositions. Propositions with all the means available to us.
And beyond that: to allow ourselves to be surprised, to find hidden passages to the other side, from which we can define darkness and light.

In my courses, we move beyond the classical framework not only formally but also methodologically: the work includes meditation, exercises in perception and the body, guests from other disciplines, and the exploration and reflection of perspectives and theories outside one’s own field.

At its core, this is a holistic practice engaging both body and mind, culminating in painting and drawing.

Rather than a superficial appropriation, my aim is a long-term, dialogical exchange and a process of mutual learning.

My connections to anthropology (Max Planck Institute, Martin Luther University, Department of Anthropology at the Institute of Social Sciences of UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Prof. Dr. Christine Moderbacher), to experimental spatial concepts (Diamant Offenbach/HfG Offenbach, Max Brück), to theatre (Artistic Director Mille Dalsgaard, Thalia Theater Halle (Saale)), to participatory formats and instruments for shaping living environments (Kaleidoskop Südpark Halle (Saale), HBKsaar, Prof. Maike Fraas), to media art associations (Werkleitz e.V., Daniel Herrmann), to the ifa Gallery (Curator Susanne Weiß), and to the Digital Graphics class (HFBK Hamburg, Prof. Konrad Renner / Christoph Knoth) inform my teaching.
 

Painting expands space.
We aim to engage with the presence of spatial painting—its emptiness, its questions.
The classroom exists to let these questions unfold, disperse, and be observed with calm attention.

It is clear: the goal is to spend as much time as possible in the studio. To be present, to inhabit the space—and ultimately, through one’s own agency and at one’s own pace, to work. This approach is grounded in trust in the physical, the embodied—the protected yet permeable classroom supports reflection on the creative process.
 

○ Creating and holding an open, protected space for artistic development
○ Understanding the class as a place of trust for experimentation and reflection
○ Conveying to students: “You always bring yourself with you”—one’s own stance is central
○ Communicating in a supportive, attentive, and clear manner—seeing, listening, allowing arrival
○ Understanding painting/drawing as an attitude, not merely a technique or form
○ Encounter at eye level: shared questioning and thinking about the work
○ Providing orientation through one’s own position, not through prescriptions
○ Rejecting the “artistic genius” ideal—focus on the work and the person
○ Goal: strengthening individual perspectives, self-determination, and personal responsibility
○ Working with the complexity of human experience and perception
○ Making visible what cannot (yet) be put into words
 

Teaching aims to strengthen students in the diversity of their artistic processes and to support them in making their own urgencies visible in painting and drawing. They are encouraged to situate their work within a broader context—whether within the academy, in interdisciplinary collaborations, or in the social sphere.

This is not only about presentation skills or synergistic collaboration, but also about the ability to connect with other ways of thinking and living—without erasing differences. The capacity for dialogue, for critique, and for enduring open questions are central components of this approach.

Students are not trained solely as artists, but as active, reflective members of the art and cultural landscape, capable of positioning and further developing their work in dialogue with culture, society, and social contexts. A particular focus lies on the concept of sustainability—we strive for an artistic practice that is oriented toward a long-term, deeply and broadly rooted position.

Finally, it is important to me that they remain aware at all times that they are more than their identity as artists—they are human beings.