When does the vernissage take place?

The vernissage begins on September 26, 2026, at 7 PM at Stiftung Centre Culturel Franco-Allemand Karlsruhe.

How long is the exhibition on view?

The exhibition is accessible until October 31, 2026, during the foundation's opening hours.

What is the entrance fee?

Admission to the vernissage and exhibition is free according to the official event page.

Where is the venue located?

The exhibition takes place at Karlstraße 52-54, 76133 Karlsruhe.

Are there official tours or workshops?

No tours or workshops are listed in the available event information for this exhibition.

What are the opening hours of the foundation?

The foundation is open Monday to Thursday mornings and afternoons, and Friday mornings. It is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Lea Gocht transforms the CCFA Karlsruhe into a surreal stage of hybrid bodies

Name: Inhale the future ... exhale the past by Lea Gocht
Start: 2026-09-26T19:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-31T23:59:00+01:00
Location: Stiftung Centre Culturel Franco-Allemand Karlsruhe

Lea Gocht lets hybrid cat beings race through the future

On September 26, 2026, the exhibition Inhale the future ... exhale the past by Lea Gocht opens at the Stiftung Centre Culturel Franco-Allemand Karlsruhe. The vernissage begins at 7 PM and is part of the exhibition series Retour de Paris. Admission is free.

Between body, cat, and machine

Lea Gocht presents a development of the second part of her installation series anhedonia. The focus is on hybrid fabric beings that connect a female-read body with the physiognomy of a cat. With elongated limbs, upright posture, and grasping thumbs, the figures sit at the wheel of small cars, transforming the spaces of the Centre Culturel Franco-Allemand into a peculiar stage between care, speed, and self-presentation.

Gold chains, slogans, and cultural friction

The textile beings wear gold chains and T-shirts with prints like Enough Drama, Positive Energy, or inhale the future … exhale the past. Lea Gocht combines elements of installation, crafts, and pop aesthetics. The seemingly playful imagery raises questions about body images, role patterns, desire, consumption, and the relationship between emotional care and social performance pressure.

An aesthetic experience between movement and stillness

The exhibition atmosphere thrives on the contrast between the soft, material surfaces of the figures and the technical idea of the automobile. The viewing of the works leads from tactile materiality through sculptural form to installation as a spatial overall image. This creates a sensual art experience where textile bodies, shiny accessories, and pointed language compete and simultaneously develop a surprisingly fragile aesthetic.

Art historical classification and current perspectives

Gocht works in a contemporary art direction that intertwines textile sculpture, feminist image critique, and popular culture signs. Her installation responds to familiar motifs of the present and transforms them into a quirky, ambivalent imagery. The Centre Culturel Franco-Allemand Karlsruhe provides a space for German-French exchange that connects contemporary art, cultural education, and social issues.

Lea Gocht in Karlsruhe

Lea Gocht lives and works in Berlin and Karlsruhe. In 2025, she received the Werner-Stober-Preis in Karlsruhe. At the opening, Lea Gocht and Lizzy Ellbrück will speak. The exhibition can be seen after the vernissage until October 31, 2026, during the foundation's opening hours.

Conclusion: An art experience between care and speed

Inhale the future ... exhale the past promises an unusual aesthetic experience between textile sculpture, installation, and pop cultural imagery. Anyone wishing to discover contemporary art, feminist perspectives, and spatial presentations with quirky humor should experience this exhibition live and follow the hybrid fabric beings through the spaces of the CCFA.