Lars Eidinger: „Ich liebe Widersprüche“ – die Marke, die keine sein will

Lars Eidinger, the renowned German actor, has taken on a new role as an artist and photographer, displaying his work in the Kunsthalle Tübingen. Despite his right thumb being in a thick bandage, he confidently stood before a photograph and tilted his head, questioning its composition. He then picked up a water level, demonstrating how the image was perfectly level.

Eidinger's show, "Lars Eidinger. Present Perfect," will be on display until the end of February, alongside works from the Kunsthalle's collection. Eidinger is not just a successful actor and photographer, but also a DJ and a reader of Bertolt Brecht's "Hauspostille." He seems to be everywhere, attracting audiences with his genre-spanning work.

Eidinger considers himself a brand, even though he constantly strives not to be one. He is featured in a large-format photograph he posed for, where he is depicted naked, wearing a white pair of underwear, a golden crown, and a dirt-covered body, reminiscent of his iconic Hamlet role. Eidinger's photographs are all self-portraits, with his first one being a gold hamster trapped in a roll of paper, captured when he was six years old.

He finds the atmosphere of his upbringing in this image, as it reflects the state he's in today. Each of Eidinger's photos serves as a reminder of a moment he wants to capture and understand himself. He particularly enjoys capturing everyday moments, people, and geometric shapes in his hometown of Berlin. These photographs are some of his favorites, as they reflect the state he is in.

For Eidinger, photography is the bridge between his subconscious and conscious mind, with each image in his exhibit being a self-portrait. He hopes that viewers will find something of themselves in his work. Eidinger's paintings have already found a home in the art world, with the Hamburg Kunsthalle showcasing them in 2021 alongside 17th-century Dutch and Flemish masters.

In 2024, his first monographic museum exhibition, "O Mensch," opened at the Düsseldorf K21. For this exhibition in Tübingen, the museum director, Nicole Fritz, collaborated with Eidinger, exchanging artworks via WhatsApp during his busy schedule. Fritz hopes that Eidinger's presence will bring in new visitors, especially younger ones, to the museum.