August 2026: ORIGO³ – Not an Exhibition About Origin

In Latin, origo means “origin, beginning, source.” Yet, contrary to what the title of this exhibition might suggest, this is not a thematic group exhibition. Rather, its point of departure lies in the participating artists’ shared geographical roots in Erfurt and in an artistic development that, for each of them, began within the graffiti scene.

At first glance, Michael Ritzmann’s brightly colored works, Alex Katsuragawa’s expressive painting style, and Elias Lory’s reduced typographic works may appear highly contrasting. Only when placed in dialogue does it become apparent that all three artistic positions are united by a playful and exploratory approach to space, architecture, material, and composition. This is evident not only in the individual works, but also in the jointly developed presentation and the artists’ engagement with the architecture of the exhibition space. Carefully constructed sightlines reveal similarities throughout the space without diminishing the distinct qualities of the individual works.

The exhibition therefore does not seek a common denominator, but rather aims to make connections visible. The works enter into dialogue with one another, respond to each other, and open up new perspectives.

In the juxtaposition of Elias Lory’s graphic works, which are based on a rigorous typographic system, with Alex Katsuragawa’s gestural-figurative paintings and drawings, as well as Michael Ritzmann’s neo-futurist metal works and abstract paintings, similar questions emerge despite their many differences. In their own ways, all three artists explore the boundaries between surface and space, the relationship between order and intuition, and the ways in which material and color shape perception.

At the heart of the exhibition are the diverse paths that have unfolded from a shared point of departure and now meet again within the exhibition space. A further layer is added through the display of transport crates and the repeated departure from conventional wall-based presentation, implicitly revealing the process of creating the exhibition itself. The acts of arranging, transporting, and bringing the works together become visible, drawing attention to the conditions under which the exhibition came into being. This creates another connection to the titular origo.

Lara Bader
Art Historian, Hamburg