Sammlung Goetz at Haus der Kunst
Cyrill Lachauer. I am not sea, I am not land

Since 2011, media works from the Sammlung Goetz have been presented in the former air-raid shelter of Haus der Kunst, alternating every six months. So far, the focus has been on thematic group exhibitions. But now with Cyrill Lachauer, an artist from the collection has been commissioned to create a solo show for this unusual location for the first time. Whether he explores South Africa, Romania, or rural America, Lachauer’s photographs and films track down hidden and repressed stories that have inscribed themselves in landscapes. They often deal with colonialism, environmental catastrophes, and failed utopias. His works tell of his encounters, combining documentation, fiction, and anthropology.

The starting point of the exhibition is the 2017 film essay Dodging Raindrops – A Separate Reality. In slang, the title means fleeing from the rain, going to wherever the sun shines. And in a way, the film addresses the great dream of dropping out. Lachauer, who is also represented in the Deutsche Bank Collection, follows in the footsteps of the idol of his youth, the New Age apostle Carlos Castaneda, through California and Arizona. At the same time, however, the film is a swan song to the visions of the hippie generation, as these dreams culminate in social inequality and a divided America. His new works also tell of precarious conditions. But he always gives a voice to dropouts, loners, and homeless people—just like the landscapes he portrays. The trailer of the exhibition and Lachauer’s films can be found here.

Cyrill Lachauer
I am not sea, I am not land
until September 12, 2021
Sammlung Goetz at Haus der Kunst, Munich