The Haus am Wehrsteg brings comics together with the Prinzhorn Collection: In his work "Duftsäckchen aus besseren Zeiten" (scented bags from better times), Mannheim-based illustrator and comic artist Mehrdad Zaeri (*1970) deals with the artist Martina Kügler (1945-2017) from the Prinzhorn Collection. From June 1, the work, printed on a large-format canvas, can be seen on the façade of the Haus am Wehrsteg.

For the "Außenseiten" (outsides), Zaeri has reinterpreted the drawing "Riechsäckchen" (smelling bags) by artist Martina Kügler. He was immediately captivated by the drawing, because even as a teenager he dreamed of preserving the scents of life. As in the original, Zaeri's work focuses on a woman. Small bags are attached to her hair with strings. The figure's striking red robe is reminiscent of wings, while the light yet confident lines intensify the depiction. Zaeri has retained the title Riechsäckchen in a slightly different form and, like Kügler, has captured it in the drawing. Zaeri states that scents do not trigger a desire for another place in him, but for his childhood. He finds the idea of tying these scented sachets to his hair like Martina Kügler's beautiful. That way you always have them with you.

Martina Kügler mostly used paper as a background for lithographs and drawings. She also left behind a large number of her own poems that accompanied her work. In one of these poems, she speaks of "monsters of the mind" - a reference to her mental state, as Kügler suffered from schizophrenia. She has repeatedly addressed her exceptional psychological experiences and psychiatric stays in her texts. Her works also repeatedly refer to a vulnerable, endangered self. The proximity to the expressionist poet Gottfried Benn is obvious: Kügler has repeatedly integrated verses by Benn into her exhibitions. Her pencil drawing "Riechsäckchen" shows the elongated silhouette of a naked woman. Two balls and a small bag dangle from her hair - presumably the eponymous "Riechsäckchen". The woman's distorted body appears poetically surreal.

Today there are more than 220 works by Kügler in the Prinzhorn Collection. Some of them are on display in the current exhibition "News from the Collection (1835-2024). Discoveries and Acquisitions" at the Prinzhorn Collection Museum (until September 15, 2024). This exhibition also includes the originals of past "Außenseiten" by artists such as Anna Haifisch, Henning Wagenbreth and Mawil. You can also listen to the current episode in the "Außenseiten" podcast (https://anchor.fm/aussenseiten).

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