Federleicht - Birgit Graschopf

In her series Federleicht (Light as a Feather), Birgit Graschopf examines ambiguities and perceived contradictions. Within her mysterious and enigmatic visual worlds, she allows atmospherically dense narrations to unfold, occupied by solitary, invariably female figures. Fragile and isolated, these characters can be read as involuntarily lonely or as choosing solitude—the final interpretation remains with the individual observer. The protagonists are situated within specific spaces and architectures that appear temporarily or permanently abandoned, yet are reoccupied and recharged by the figures placed within them. Autonomously acting shadows and silhouettes, doublings, and fragments shroud the figures in mystery, opening up associative spaces that link to Surrealist photography and Romantic painting.

Light plays a pivotal role in this process. Graschopf always photographs in existing lighting conditions, whether in daylight or nocturnal artificial light—true to the spirit of Caspar David Friedrich, who noted of the creative process: „Bring to light what you have seen in the darkness.“

This thematic ambiguity finds its counterpart in the materiality of the substrates. In a masterful fusion of the spheres of analog and digital photography, Graschopf takes her digitally processed images into the darkroom to expose them onto concrete or sandpaper. Both materials appear hard and heavy only at first glance. The concrete slabs, cast by the artist herself, bear traces of their creation—manifested in their specific coloration and embedded air bubbles. The industrially manufactured sandpapers possess individual characteristics depending on their grit: upon closer inspection, the coarse surface reveals a shimmering, velvety aesthetic that feels both fragile and weightless.

By positioning her photographic images on the wall as well as sculptural installations—whether at eye level or near the floor—Graschopf mirrors the internal and material „tilt moments“ through her form of presentation.