Wenn du’s erkennst, ist es falsch herum, Rückenwind.

Johanna Grotzke (*1981) lives and works in Berlin. Her artistic practice spans a range of media, including printmaking, collage, and sculptural works made from foam rubber. Despite this diversity of materials, a consistent thematic focus runs through her work: the human body.

Grotzke’s pieces often present the body in abstracted, fragmentary forms—relief-like sections that play with shape, texture, and line. These are not complete figures, but partial glimpses rendered in such a way that challenges visual perception. What do we truly see? What do we assume or mentally reconstruct? Her work invites viewers to question the act of seeing itself, probing the fine line between perception and interpretation.

Central to her approach is the manual, tactile process of making. Cutting, shaping, assembling—these actions are not merely technical steps, but integral to the expressive force of her work. The traces of the hand remain visible, allowing the physical engagement with materials—be it paper, printing plates, or foam rubber—to speak directly to the viewer. Through this tactile language, Grotzke opens up new ways of thinking about bodily expression and presence.

In an age saturated with digital imagery, Johanna Grotzke’s art serves as a powerful reminder of the material, fragmented, and interpretive nature of visual experience. Her work encourages us to slow down, to look again—and to look differently.