Hannover: New Comic Art Exhibitions at Wilhelm Busch Museum – Feuchtenberger, Lust & More
- Hannover’s Museum Wilhelm Busch is currently hosting a dual exhibition spotlighting the work of two leading contemporary comic artists, Anke Feuchtenberger and Ulli Lust.
- The exhibition offers a compelling look at autofiction and identity as explored through the medium of comics.
- Feuchtenberger’s artistic style is characterized by large-format charcoal drawings, creating a powerfully immersive and often dark aesthetic.
Hannover’s Museum Wilhelm Busch is currently hosting a dual exhibition spotlighting the work of two leading contemporary comic artists, Anke Feuchtenberger and Ulli Lust. The exhibition, titled “Ich sehe was, was du nicht siehst!” (I See What You Don’t See!), opened to the public today, , and will run through .
The exhibition offers a compelling look at autofiction and identity as explored through the medium of comics. Feuchtenberger’s contribution centers around her critically acclaimed work, “Genossin Kuckuck” (Comrade Cuckoo). This piece, which received nominations for the Leipzig Book Fair Prize in 2024 and the French Prix Artémisia in 2025, traces a life lived against the backdrop of a divided Germany, from childhood in East Germany (DDR) through the period following the fall of the Berlin Wall. The museum will showcase original drawings from “Genossin Kuckuck” alongside selections from her project “Die Hure H.” (The Whore H.), earlier works, prints, and an animated short film.
Feuchtenberger’s artistic style is characterized by large-format charcoal drawings, creating a powerfully immersive and often dark aesthetic. The museum notes that her work unveils a surreal and often autofictional visual world, inviting viewers into a deeply personal and introspective experience.
Running in parallel, the exhibition dedicated to Ulli Lust presents selections from her autobiographical graphic novels, “Heute ist der letzte Tag vom Rest deines Lebens” (Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life) and “Wie ich versuchte ein guter Mensch zu sein” (How I Tried to Be a Good Person). Lust’s most recent comic reportage, “Die Frau als Mensch” (The Woman as a Human Being), which explores early gender roles, will also be featured, offering a contemporary perspective on historical societal structures.
The Museum Wilhelm Busch, situated within an English landscape garden, provides a unique setting for these exhibitions. The simultaneous presentation of Feuchtenberger and Lust’s work is being hailed as a significant moment for the museum, bringing two of the most important contemporary comic artists to the forefront of the German art scene.
Beyond the main exhibitions, the museum is also offering programming for younger audiences. An exhibition of works by the artist Katharina Greve, titled “Regeln sind zum Brechen da!” (Rules are Made to Be Broken), will be on display in the museum’s guest rooms until early August. This exhibition focuses on comics about children who question societal norms and expectations.
the museum is launching a new series called “Busch Meets” in its new Wilhelm-Busch-Kabinett. The series will feature contemporary artists engaging with the legacy of comic pioneer Wilhelm Busch. The inaugural installment showcases the work of Austrian artist Michaela Konrad, who reimagines historical comic aesthetics through silk-screen posters incorporating augmented reality elements. This exhibition is scheduled to run until .
The Museum Wilhelm Busch’s commitment to showcasing both established and emerging talent in the field of comic art solidifies its position as a vital cultural institution in Hannover and beyond. The current exhibitions, with their focus on female artists and explorations of personal and societal themes, represent a dynamic and thought-provoking contribution to the contemporary art landscape.
The museum’s connection to the broader history of sequential art is also noteworthy. As highlighted by the Ludwig Galerie Schloss Oberhausen, Wilhelm Busch himself was an early pioneer in the field, laying the groundwork for the development of the comic form. This historical context adds another layer of significance to the museum’s current programming.