With “sonderbare Tage,” the Kölnischer Kunstverein presents an exhibition by the artist Ser Serpas. Born in 1995, the artist is known for a multifaceted body of work that combines sculpture, painting, performance, poetry, film, and installation. Her artistic practice remains deliberately open, unpredictable, and in constant flux.
For her exhibition in Cologne, Serpas is breaking new ground: The focus is on installation and video, though painting also remains a prominent element. A gigantic curtain with traces of paint serves as both a backdrop and a spatial divide that guides visitors through different scenarios. The result is not a traditional exhibition setting, but a walk-in environment in which film, stage, body, and audience overlap.
One of the starting points is Serpas’s idea of transforming “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” into an exhibition. The collective experience of the cult film, its DIY energy, shadow cast performances, and the breakdown of the boundary between stage and audience shaped her artistic identity early on. At the Kölnischer Kunstverein, this inspiration takes shape as a multi-layered exhibition space where the boundaries between watching, participating, and being observed blur. Visitors move through a setting reminiscent of those found in horror films and thrillers.
Cinematic references also run throughout the exhibition: In addition to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Strange Days,” “The Descent,” and “Train to Busan” are evoked, serving as barometers for a collective unease in a present perceived as strange and threatening. The exhibition explores where staging ends and real paranoia begins.
A special feature of the exhibition is the monthly “Rocky Horror” film screenings with shadow cast performances in the movie theater. The performers prepare in a green room within the exhibition; over time, costumes, accessories, and makeup supplies themselves become visible traces of the events taking place.
For her exhibition in Cologne, Serpas is breaking new ground: The focus is on installation and video, though painting also remains a prominent element. A gigantic curtain with traces of paint serves as both a backdrop and a spatial divide that guides visitors through different scenarios. The result is not a traditional exhibition setting, but a walk-in environment in which film, stage, body, and audience overlap.
One of the starting points is Serpas’s idea of transforming “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” into an exhibition. The collective experience of the cult film, its DIY energy, shadow cast performances, and the breakdown of the boundary between stage and audience shaped her artistic identity early on. At the Kölnischer Kunstverein, this inspiration takes shape as a multi-layered exhibition space where the boundaries between watching, participating, and being observed blur. Visitors move through a setting reminiscent of those found in horror films and thrillers.
Cinematic references also run throughout the exhibition: In addition to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Strange Days,” “The Descent,” and “Train to Busan” are evoked, serving as barometers for a collective unease in a present perceived as strange and threatening. The exhibition explores where staging ends and real paranoia begins.
A special feature of the exhibition is the monthly “Rocky Horror” film screenings with shadow cast performances in the movie theater. The performers prepare in a green room within the exhibition; over time, costumes, accessories, and makeup supplies themselves become visible traces of the events taking place.
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- Entrance Free
Eligibility
Bad Weather Offer
Suitable for any Weather
Target Group Adult
for Groups
for individual guests