Gabriele Stötzer, “Die Fensterscheibe knutschen”, 1982, 10 black and white prints, 14,8 × 105,7 cm

Gabriele Stötzer was born in 1953 in Emleben, East Germany. In the mid-1970s she began her teaching studies in Erfurt, from which she was expelled for political reasons. Her continued involvement in opposition activities led to her arrest and imprisonment. After her release, she was subjected to surveillance by the security services up until 1989.

In the 1980s, after leaving prison, Stötzer began creating art, including photographic self-portraits and camera-recorded performance activities.

The photographic work Die Fensterscheibe knutschen, held in the Galeria Studio Collection, depicts the nude artist pressing her face against the glass. The verb “knutschen” in German means “to tightly embrace, squeeze, kiss” and refers to an action that is intense, characterized by emotion, but also involving restriction. The glass pane that the artist confronts becomes a barrier for her—a boundary separating her from the world on the other side. Through this gesture, Stötzer seems to be trying to overcome the obstacle, while being aware that this is impossible.

Paulina Olszewska