There is a moment in which an image comes into being — not on the canvas or in the camera sensor, but in the eye. A fleeting instant, almost impossible to grasp, which is already slipping away even as one attempts to comprehend it. Between perception and memory, between seeing and feeling, a space opens up in which the image is not fixed, but only just beginning to form.

The exhibition “Augenblicke” (“Moments”) at nüüd.berlin gallery is devoted precisely to this intermediate state. It brings together two artistic positions — the Berlin-based photographer Jörg Klaus and the Osnabrück-based painter Jörg Kujawa — who approach the image from opposite directions, yet meet at a decisive point: in their doubt about unambiguity.

The artists approach the image from opposing directions: while Klaus’s photographs evoke painterly gestures in their visual effect, Kujawa’s paintings are shaped by a photographic gaze. In this counter-movement, a tension-filled dialogue emerges about image, perception and memory.

At the centre of the exhibition is the moment — not as a captured reality, but as a subjectively experienced state between seeing and remembering. “Augenblicke” is therefore not merely a title, but a programmatic proposition: the image becomes a site where perception condenses, shifts and re-forms.

The exhibition is not conceived as a juxtaposition of two media, but as a reciprocal reflection:

What is photography when it recalls painterly gestures? What is painting when it appears photographic?

The photographs of Jörg Klaus resist unambiguous interpretation. In series such as The Intension Is To Move, images emerge that do not document, but evoke. Blurring, movement and reduced forms generate visual states that recall memories or fleeting perceptions, while also suggesting painterly gestures. Klaus shifts meaning away from the motif towards perception itself: his works open up ambiguous image spaces in which meaning is not fixed, but unfolds individually.

In doing so, he deliberately makes use of the image’s multiple layers — between formal appearance, conceptual level and subjective intention. His photographs invite viewers to question their own habits of seeing and to engage with the tension between what is visible and what is meant.

“I do not want to capture what I see –  but how it feels when I see it.”

Jörg Kujawa also works with the moment — though starting from the photographic image as the point of departure for his painting. His urban scenes are not depictions, but condensations of memory, observation and imagination. In his paintings, pictorial spaces emerge that resemble frozen sequences: figures pause in motion, architecture becomes a stage, and details acquire narrative force.

Kujawa combines classical oil painting with a compositional clarity reminiscent of photographic image-making. Shifts in perspective, graphic structures and subtle layers of colour create a visual tension between figuration and abstraction. His painting reflects photographic seeing without submitting to it.

“Photography is my sketchbook — painting is what emerges from it.”

Within this dialogue unfolds a multilayered reflection on pictorial space, composition and atmosphere. Both artists share a sensitive awareness of the moment — of those fleeting constellations in which perception, memory and imagination intertwine.

With “Augenblicke”, the gallery nüüd.berlin continues its central programme: exploring the interrelation and interplay between photography and painting. The exhibition not only opens up new visual perspectives, but also offers a focused view of two artistic positions that understand the moment as both an aesthetic and an epistemological event.

Jörg Klaus (*1961 in Altenburg, Thuringia) began street photography in 1987 during his studies in education in Halle (Saale). Fascinated by the medium, he abandoned his teacher training and went on to study at the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig (Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst) under Arno Fischer and Astrid Klein, graduating with distinction. Alongside his studies, he worked as a freelance photographer for magazines and agencies, particularly in portrait and people photography. This was followed by periods abroad, including in Los Angeles, Portugal and Spain. Klaus was a member of the Ostkreuz agency and has exhibited internationally. His independent work often takes the form of long-term projects and reflects precisely observed everyday situations. He lives and works in Berlin.

Jörg Kujawa (*1973 in Osnabrück) is a painter who studied art at the University of Osnabrück. Engaged with painting since his youth, he has developed a visual language that oscillates between intimacy, observation and atmospheric condensation. His work emerges from precise perception and a strong inner sensibility, resulting in a body of work characterised by its tactile, physical presence. Photographic sketches serve as a starting point; crucial, however, is the translation of perception into the sensual materiality of paint. The artist has received several awards, including the Piepenbrock Art Prize. His works have been exhibited in Germany and Paris and are held in both private and public collections. He lives and works in Osnabrück.

Friday, May 1, 2026, 6 pm
Opening reception

Special opening hours for Gallery Weekend Berlin 2026
Saturday, May 2: 12 noon – 8 pm
Sunday, May 3: 12 noon – 4 pm

Saturday, May 23, 2026, 4 pm
Artist Talk (de)

Saturday, June 13, 2026, 4 – 6 pm
Finissage