For her Solo-Exhibition *awake by choice* (Wahlweise Wach), Berlin-based artist Petra Lottje has curated a selection of her own work created over the past two decades. The pieces offer insight into an artistic approach that spans diverse media, including drawing and film. The Kunstverein Gütersloh provides an ideal setting for this retrospective project; the works are distributed across several floors and various exhibition spaces, creating a curated journey through Lottje’s art and worldviews. The fact that artists do not work in a vacuum—that their personal biographies and relationships with their environment inevitably, whether consciously or unconsciously, inform their practice—is an intrinsic aspect of the creative process. This allows for a compelling exploration of the distinct individual styles and artistic intentions that define each creator. In the case of Petra Lottje—a rather reserved person in her personal interactions—it is a core principle to immerse herself completely in the creation of her work, all while avoiding the impulse to place herself at the center of attention.
“No one lives for themselves alone.” While this observation might seem like a platitude, it strikes at the heart of many of the artistic expressions featured in this exhibition. The act of observing others in relation to the self serves as a recurring subtext—a theme reflected in the exhibition’s title, *Wahlweise Wach*. Creating art in the manner of Lottje requires a keen, empathetic power of observation. Resisting the numbing effect of routine, the artist remains open to moods, gestures, and nuances; she observes and feels, subsequently documenting what she has perceived—whether through concise, legible lines or symbolic, cinematic works. The early video work *Jedes Zimmer Hinter Einer Tür* (Every Room Behind a Door) from 2006 already exhibits a shifting between the ostensibly autobiographical and the empathetic engagement with the extreme situations of others. In this piece, the artist assumes the roles of dozens of women from various feature films. The settings and costumes vary, as do the emotional registers of the film monologues—which Lottje does not merely lip-sync or reenact, but rather makes entirely her own. The emotions conveyed by the artist feel profoundly authentic, evoking a turbulent spectrum of feelings in the viewer. We observe Lottje as she retraces intense, personal, and extreme situations—adopting perspectives that are strong, wounded, angry, or sorrowful—thereby constructing a dense, almost philosophical kaleidoscope of the female psyche and the social construction of “gender,” while simultaneously deconstructing these very concepts. One cannot help but wonder: what is genuinely felt—rooted in the artist’s own lived experience—and what is a brilliant, intuitive recreation of fictional narratives?
Lottje’s drawings often appear as though they were executed in a single, continuous stroke. Yet, the line on the paper never emerges directly from the reality it depicts; it does not function as a literal representation, but rather reflects what has been observed, distilling it into a formulaic expression and ultimately exploring the nuances of what is felt. A prime example of this is the 2018 series *Im Zweifel* (In Case of Doubt). Focusing on a Berlin courthouse, the series examines how individuals behave within that space—depending on their specific circumstances, whether they are summoned to appear in court or are simply present in a professional capacity—and explores what their body language reveals about their internal emotional state. Only back in her own studio does Lottje recall what she has observed, translating it into line drawings that, when viewed together, unfold an emotional cosmos.
In a project developed specifically for this exhibition, titled “Waving Wonders” (*Wehende Wunder*), Petra Lottje herself—albeit indirectly—comes into focus. To map her social network, she invited people to whom she feels close, whether personally or professionally, to send her a postcard for the exhibition. Around 130 responses trace the fabric of the world in which the artist moves. It is no coincidence that these postcards appear at the very beginning of the exhibition. While an outsider may find it difficult to fully grasp the significance that each individual expression of connection holds for the artist, one can nonetheless sense the warmth of a “social sculpture” (in the spirit of Joseph Beuys)—a warmth that radiates throughout the entire exhibition.
Dr. Martin Steffens, 2026