Verzerrt: Kiki Gebauer, Sonja Knecht, Finiw Trachir – SCOTTY (Berlin) | 07.03.–18.04.2026

On March 6, 2026, the exhibition “Verzerrt” (> Distorted) opens at SCOTTY on Oranienstraße in Berlin-Kreuzberg. As part of the year’s theme “Schwindel” (Vertigo), artists Kiki Gebauer, Sonja Knecht, and Finiw Trachir explore the extent to which our perception is shaped by perspective, reflection, and linguistic construction—and whether there is such a thing as absolute truth. The exhibition runs from March 7 to April 18, 2026.

Image above: © Kiki Gebauer, STAPLES, wood, acrylic, mirror foil, 60 x 60 x 26 cm, 2025

The annual theme of dizziness implies the theme of truth. But what is truth? When we look in the mirror, we see our reflection. But this is reversed. That is, we see ourselves differently than others see us. So what is true: self-perception or the perception of others? Are both reality, or is one of them distorted? What is reflected back to us, and which truth is true? Does one truth even exist, or is it merely a facet of our own perception? To what extent does this depend on our perspective, on the standpoint from which we view things—and what do we do with the knowledge of our standpoint? These are the questions that inspired the artists Kiki Gebauer, Sonja Knecht, and Finiw Trachir to create the exhibition “Distorted.”

Kiki Gebauer transforms the project space into a hall of mirrors, dissolving the boundaries of the room. She installs her concrete objects within this mirrored space. Because the mirrors are not perfectly flat, distortions occur. These can be dizzying, but they also cause the rectilinear minimalist sculptures to be transformed or augmented by new, amorphous forms in the reflection. These irregular, mirrored forms change dramatically depending on the viewer’s position. Even slight head movements create new images. Thus, the reflection is constantly changing. Everything is in flux, a play between constancy and change. On opening night, Kiki Gebauer will give an introduction to her work and the exhibition concept.

In his sound installation, jazz musician Finiw Trachir explores the theme of echo. How does a sound develop when it leaves the instrument? How is it reflected in the space, and what is perceived of the original sound or sequence of notes in another location? How does the reverberation or reverberation develop, how is an echo created, and what kind of echo is it? Finiw Trachir plays through various variations with his wind instrument.

Sonja Knecht examines words for their inherent meaning. Her anagramming is a handwritten exploration of the word material. Large-format excerpts from her anagram manuscripts may at first glance appear as baseless distortions, from which remnants of semantics peek out here and there – but they reveal lengthy processes that follow strict rules. The beginning: A sentence or sentence fragment, an exclamation, a thought, or a quotation makes itself known. Why? What does it contain? How do I find it? Sonja Knecht’s core technique: staring at words. At some point, they look back, and then something happens. In the interaction between the word artist and the text, new meaning emerges. For days and nights, sometimes for years, Sonja Knecht rearranges the given letters, collecting building blocks of meaning. From countless manuscript pages, she finally selects complete lines in which all the letters of the original line appear (not one more, not one less), sorts them, and connects them. Only then does it become a poem. At the opening, Sonja Knecht will read from her anagram poems.

Guided tour of the exhibition: Saturday, March 21, 5 pm,
the artists will explain their concepts and working methods.

WHEN?

Opening: Friday, 06. March 2026, 7 pm

Exhibition: Saturday, 07. March – Saturday, 18. April 2026

Closing event: Saturday, 18. April 2026, 5 pm

WHERE?

SCOTTY
Oranienstrasse 46
10969 Berlin;
U 8 Moritzplatz