Dirk von Lowtzow - Detektive - Lesung & Konzert

After abandoning a degree in art history, Dirk von Lowtzow ended up in Hamburg in 1993 and, at the Hamburger Kunstverein, saw for the first time what was then — as now — called "contemporary art," which did not exist in Freiburg. The exhibition was called "Backstage" ("I had only known that term from punk clubs until then") and was conceived both as a glimpse behind the scenes and as an overview of institutional critique and contextual art. Many of the positions shown corresponded with the newly emerging practice of Tocotronic. Five years later he met Isabelle Graw in Cologne, author and editor of "Texte zur Kunst," and after an evening at a bar was engaged as an art critic for the magazine.

The essay collection gathers (almost) all the pieces Dirk von Lowtzow wrote between 1999 and 2019 for "Texte zur Kunst" and for catalogues — arranged chronologically. It begins with a visit to a Sigmar Polke exhibition at the Hamburger Kunsthalle and ends with some (left unanswered) questions for the writer Leïla Slimani. There's even a mini‑drama!

Dirk von Lowtzow will present an entertaining and at times very funny evening with old and new texts on art and will sing the corresponding songs from three decades of Tocotronic. The reading and concert will take place on 28 September 2026 at 5:00 PM in the Festsaal Kreuzberg.