Studio Lockdown
Creation Does Not Begin With Action
I know that the word lockdown can feel heavy for some of you as it may carry memories from the pandemic years. For me, it is synonym of calm, peace and time to disappear from the world without justifying my absence.
A studio lockdown is my major opportunity to play without time constraints. This is key for my art practice. One full weekend every month, a non-negotiable. Nothing has to happen. Everything can happen.
Why is this so important to me? Because we all have always something in the back of our heads. Bills to pay. Messages not yet answered. Errands waiting. All are quiet obligations that keep us tied to ordinary human robotic life. Before anything meaningful can emerge, that noise needs to go. You might think that creating art means arriving at the studio and getting started. Let me be honest. For the first few hours, I will probably make things that are 80% trash-able but as time passes by finally there is room for meaningful creation.
Yes, I could spend this unbothered time in the studio alone, many artists do it and love it, however, I prefer the romantic idea of having a creative family around me.
This is the scenario: One person wants to cooks and decides to make soup for everyone, another prepares a drink, someone begins something and asks for feedback and someone else does nothing at all and just chill. This way conversations unfold. Not small talk, but the kind that opens something. Often, that conversation becomes the seed for the next piece of work or for a collaboration.
What matters most to me is staying there overnight, specially if you are an early bird like me and you are also in bed by 11 pm latest. There is something magical about timeless creation and no need to wake up or go to bed at any time, but just when the body naturally drops. I surprised myself during the last studio lockdown in December because it was past 2 am when I turned to Fabi like a mad woman under a spell and said, “I can’t stop painting. I need to continue.”
That night, I created what I consider my strongest work so far. It would have never happened if I had needed to stop at ten at night. Not even close. And I went to bed just exhausted thinking only about waking up to continue. And so I did. In the morning. While Fabi was still sleeping in the sofa, I woke up, made coffee and continued what I left the night before unfinished. I was possessed. And the satisfaction was enormous.
Back in March 2025, I had already co-hosted my very first artists lockdown together with two friends. We spent 6 days at the studio without leaving the space in order to create all that would be exhibited on the seventh day. That was what we called the “Schaffensraum” experiment, a one week immersive art residency. The quality of the artwork that came out of this week was top. This really showed me that creativity needs, to a certain point, a little bit of isolation and dedication, it can’t be rushed or forced but when we give it space, it flows like a fountain. Now you understand a little better my way of creating :)
This is why I choose to work with people who are willing to step out of constant productivity and into intentional creation, people who understand that what is truly meaningful cannot be rushed. Working with me means entering a space of trust rather than pressure. A space in where everything is possible and curiosity and exploration shall be the main drivers. Where meals, conversation, silence, fatigue, and obsession are not distractions from the work, but part of the process that allows the work to emerge.
If you recognise yourself in this way of working, if you feel the need for depth, and collective presence, then this is not an invitation you need to consider. It is one you already understand.
All photos by Fabian Schmidt