There are two places where people long to be, where they hope for relaxation and peace, where they can recover and where they can grow wings: the sea and the forest. The photographer Peter Bialobrzeski and the painter Miwa Ogasawara both live in Hamburg and constantly exchange ideas with one another. In 2022, the gallery showed their work on the sea with the Title Übers Meer, followed this year by Übern Wald. The cooperation between the photographer and the painter proves to be highly fruitful and indeed profound, because it enables them to take up and show different aspects of a subject. After all, there are usually numerous perspectives, and in this case they complement one another marvellously.

The photographer documents the forest, disabusing us of the illusion that the world is still okay there. Idea and reality are today often far apart. A forest which at first sight seems intact may initially appear romantic, but this is disrupted by greying stems and other dead wood. The works remind us that Romanticism is an aesthetic and historical concept. But they also provide comfort, because a view into the forest is still beautiful and soothing.

Miwa Ogasawara refuses even to attempt to view the forest as reality. For her, it is pure idea, an emblem for the eternal cycle of growth and decay, which in turn is the foundation for change and renewal. The vertical trees stand for resilience, and the deli- cate, reduced colour palette renders the quiet and depth of the forest. The small pain- tings on metal leaf capture the wonderful play of light in the forest beautifully. Her pain- tings allow us to experience the forest sensually, and they speak to our soul.

Peter Bialobrzeski

Peter Bialobrzeski was born in Wolfsburg in 1961; he lives and works in Hamburg and the world. After getting a degree in politics and sociology, he studied photography at the Folkwang Schule in Essen and at the London College of Printing. He is professor of photography at Hochschule der Künste Bremen. In 2003 and 2010, he received the World Press Photo Award, and in 2012 the Erich Salomon Award of the DGPh in Colo- gne. His work can be found in numerous private and public collections, including Mu- seum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, FC Gundlach Collection, Hamburg, Ruhrmu- seum Essen, Fotoforum Köln, Museo di Fotografia Contemporanea Milano, DZ Bank Frankfurt/M, Hessische Landesbank Frankfurt/M, Quandt Holding Frankfurt/M, ING Bank Netherlands, Deutsche Börse Group Frankfurt/M, Museo Vaticano in Rome and Uni Credit Art Collection in Munich.

Miwa Osagawara

Miwa Osagawara was born in Japan in 1973; she lives and works in Hamburg. After getting a degree in design, she studied painting at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg and finished her studies with a diploma. In 2006 she received the DAAD Grant and in 2008 the grant of the Else-Heiliger-Fonds of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stif- tung among others. Her work can be found in numerous private and public collections, including Centre Pompidou Paris, Sammlung Zeitgenössische Kunst Der Bundesrepu- blik Deutschland, Junge Kunst im Bundesministerium für Umwelt Bonn, Jil Sander Collection Hamburg, Burger Collection Zürich/Hongkong, Guttmann Collection, New York, 1221 Gendaikaiga-Contemporary Painting Collection, Tokyo, Arario Museum, Seoul, Yu-Hsiu Museum of Art, Taiwan.

Friday, Sep 4, 2026, 7 pm
Opening reception