The bed is a place of retreat into the sweet world of “me-time.” In bed, people sleep and dream; they lie awake, work, scroll through their phones, and are alone with their thoughts and worries. Our relationship with the bed is as intimate as it is political: some long for the protection of their own duvet—while for others, chronic illness turns the bed into a prison island. At the same time, single beds are replacing double beds, dormitories, and mattress barracks. But lying alone in a cold bed can be frightening.

In “Islands of Loners,” the emotional landscapes between being on one’s own, #livingalone, and abandonment become the subject of artistic exploration through several installed private spaces. We also ask ourselves: How lonely is it to make art?

With Garry Barker, Elodie Grethen, Fred Heinemann, Xenia Lesniewski, Martina Menegon, Lukas Marxt, and more

Curated and organized by Johanna Pichlbauer, Annika Stich, Markus Waitschacher, and Robin Klengel