During Kai Atlhoff’s exhibition, I noticed a silver, metal-like board on the far-right of the gallery. I don’t remember what the title of the board was, but it was something close to “Gack (or Gauk) Alternativ Show.” Some of the illustrations on the board referred to ideas and terms of Nazism and Germany, such as Wiking-Jugend and bundesbürger. I understood why he would portray such ideas in his illustrations because the artist is of German-origin and it serves as a reminder of how he came to know his country’s dark past. In addition, there were caricatures that were along the lines of anti-normal, most likely referring to Atlhoff’s experiences and lifestyle. For example, I remember on the bottom-left of the board, there were a few words written that referred to different types of substances, such as nicotine, alcohol, and some sort of psychoactive drug. He could be talking about how his usage of these substances had a deep impact on his artwork, or maybe it referred to how he abused these substances throughout his life. Overall, I felt that the board was portraying the different influences and experiences that Atlhoff was exposed to, considering the dark past of Germany and the different stages of his growth.

I don’t know why I was so drawn to this particular work. However, I was particularly fascinated by the caricatures because it reminded me of the children books I used to read and the types of pictures I would usually draw back then. For Althoff, he incorporated his own personal experiences, such as substance abuse, to Germany’s dark past, such as fascism and Nazism.It gave me the feeling of nostalgia, but at the same time, a dark reflection of one’s personal experiences to the world.