DokfestForum: Julian Irlinger

DokfestForum takes place in cooperation with the Kasseler Dokfest and directs its focus on the intersection of film, documentary, and visual art. Over two consecutive evenings, a selection of videos by the jointly invited artists Stephanie Comilang and Julian Irlinger will be presented. The screenings are followed by a talk, where the artists each discuss the ideas and strategies behind their respective works.

Sleeping architects, yodeling shells, hyperinflation—in Julian Irlinger’s cinematic works, dreamlike elements blend with historical events to create dense image worlds that open up a reflection on visual codes and image politics. Among the central themes are the „Notgeld“ emergency money of the Weimar Republic, the mysterious death of Ludwig II, and the open-plan office as a symbol of post-war modernism. Through a range of stylistically diverse techniques—including hand-drawn cel animation—the artist explores the narrative strategies and visual languages of mid-century animation studios, as well as the distinctive aesthetics of classic Walt Disney cartoons. Drawing on archival material, found imagery, and historical design languages, Irlinger’s works interrogate dominant historical narratives, their cultural representations, and the ideological structures embedded within them. The artist talk offers insight into the background and development of the animations, as well as the installations Irlinger creates for their presentation. It highlights the role these elements play within his broader artistic practice, which spans film, drawing, photography, and sculpture.

Julian Irlinger, born in Erlangen in 1986, is an artist living in Berlin. His work has been exhibited at the Wilhelm Hack Museum, Ludwigshafen (2019), the Wende Museum, Los Angeles (2022), Portikus Frankfurt (2025), and Kunstverein Schwerin (2025), among others. In 2018, he participated in the Independent Study Program at the Whitney Museum in New York, and in 2022, he was part of the BPA// Berlin program for artists.

Introduction: Jasmin Meinold (Curatorial Department), Fridericianum
Screening:
The Curtain of Time (2025)
(16 mm film transfer to HD, color, sound, film length: 10:50 Min., Loop)
Ludwig (2024)
(4K, color, sound, film length: 8 Min., Loop)
Fragments of a Crisis (2023)
(4k, color, sound, film length: 11:30 Min.)
Subsequently: Artist Talk (in German)

Location: Fridericianum

All events of the DokfestForum are free of charge and no registration is required. Admission to the exhibitions by Robert Grosvenor and Portia Zvavahera in the Fridericianum is free with general Dokfest accreditation, otherwise it is 6 Euro, reduced 4 Euro.