Marleen Thüringer
contemporary art
paintings · urban art · sculptures · workshops · social art projects
art in prison
Art as a space of resonance and a window to freedom
Project period: January 9, 2026 – May 18, 2026
Project contribution to the OpenArt 2026 Freiburg art festival, featuring the theme "Unavailability"
On this page, you will find the exhibited works, a video documenting the creative process, background information and insights into the project, as well as an opportunity to leave feedback or a message for the participating inmates.
video about the artistic creation process
Videos: Marleen Thüringer - Music: Burning Higher by Uplift Music
The Collages
Window to Freedom
Content: Issues that matter to the prisoners. Experiences behind bars. What offers hope? The work was inspired by conversations and experiences behind bars, as well as the motifs created by the prisoners during our art class (photos of the prisoners' artworks: see below).
Artistic Intention: To add some shades of gray to a world that knows mostly black and white :-)
Medium: Mixed media. The two collages incorporate spray paint, paint, and drawing.
Material: 2 PVC banners
Dimensions: 378 cm x 252 cm
Year of creation: 2026
The Panther
The Panther
Too noble to be tamed,
too proud to bow—
revealing all, yet remaining
unshakable at his core.
A stifled cry.
Fire and silence have shaped him.
When his inner world consists only of bars,
he waits. Motionless.
Aligns himself.
Senses.
Defying the stillness,
he looks toward a vitality never before known.
As part of this world.
Inwardly connected to all that is.
- Marleen Thüringer, inspired by Rilke -
Panther
Sculpture made of iron rods welded onto an iron plate.
Addresses, among other things, the rigidity and lack of privacy in prison.
Dimensions: approx. 180 x 50 cm
Year of creation: 2026
Spray-painted panther, mixed media.
Collage: Translation of the prisoners' themes and artworks onto PVC tarpaulins.
Dimensions: Length: 378 cm, Width: 252 cm
Year of creation: 2026
the bird
A bird is caught in the limed snare,
It flutters wildly, unable to fly home.
A black tomcat creeps closer,
Claws sharp, eyes glowing.
Up the tree, climbing ever higher,
He draws nearer to the poor bird.
The bird thinks: Since this is the case,
And the tomcat is bound to eat me anyway,
I shall waste no time;
I will warble a little longer
And whistle merrily as before.
The bird, it seems to me, has a sense of humor…
- Wilhelm Busch -
Bird
Dimensions: 60 cm x 160 cm
Material: Mixed media (primarily wood), adhesive, varnish, twine
Year of creation: 2026
the mailbox
Making the bridge tangible
For this project, my aim is not only to share something from the inside with the outside world and offer the prisoners a way to express themselves visibly, but also to bring the resulting response from society back to them on the inside. This mailbox will remain next to the exhibits until May 18, 2026; I invite you, as a viewer, to write a message to the prisoners:
- What resonates with you?
- Where do you feel a connection?
- What are your thoughts on the project, the artworks, etc.?
- How do you imagine life behind bars?
I will collect and review the letters. Afterward, I will pay a final visit to the prisoners to share the feedback and show them photos of the exhibition.
If you are unable to visit in person, you can leave a digital message here. I will receive these as well and will gladly pass them along :-)
The Letters – Public Response
Almost 50 letters and postcards...
...were received during the exhibition period. I will be taking them to the prisoners who participated in the project on June 12th. I will also have photos of the exhibited items with me. I am absolutely delighted by the response and all the kind words addressed to the prisoners here.
why this project?
I conceived this project in the context of this year’s theme for Open Art Freiburg. It centers on the experience of *unavailability*—of things being beyond one’s control or reach. To me, the prison is a place of unavailability; walls create a separation that works in both directions. I experience this unavailability firsthand by having myself locked in alongside the prisoners, thereby relinquishing a measure of my own freedom. In response to this state of unavailability, I aim to build a bridge—connecting to the outside world and the freedom and self-determination associated with it, things that are inaccessible to the prisoners. Conversely, the reality of prison life is completely inaccessible to the outside world; that is why I chose art as the medium for this exhibition and for making the invisible visible.
Through this project, I explore how we counter this unavailability and what it asks of us: the goal is to forge connections and foster resonance. I believe in humanity, in our dignity, and in our inner strength. When everything else falls away and lies beyond our control, that inner strength carries us through.
For me, the experience of unavailability holds a distinct potential:
The potential to offer a counter-response to the situation. To grow from it. To focus on finding inner stability when external circumstances are adverse. This potential reveals itself in how we react and respond to a situation. Art, too, confronts us with an object that poses a question—and within us, an answer takes shape: a personal sense of being moved.
I explore what happens when we connect with this potential—our own inner response. At the same time, this project allows me to investigate the causes of unavailability and how to represent it artistically (for instance, by working with rigid materials). Not least, I am convinced that we need more bridge-builders, and I would like to lead by example here. I want to bring art—and the possibilities it offers—to people living on the margins of society.
Project Schedule: What? When?
Contact and Research Phase: January 9, 2026 – February 20, 2026
Weekly artistic sessions with 10 inmates at the Freiburg Correctional Facility. The artist brings various art materials for experimentation and remains locked in with the inmates for the duration of the course. She experiences what it is like to be behind bars and shares the same sense of restricted agency as the inmates. She builds a bridge between the outside world and the inmates by listening, offering dialogue, and enabling the experience of self-efficacy through art. Working with media such as clay and visual arts, the artist explores the theme of "unavailability" (or things beyond one's control) with the inmates. The focus lies on what provides the inmates with stability and strength in their situation. The artist introduces art therapy methods and creative prompts, yet each participant always has the choice of whether to work on the specific theme or pursue their own ideas. Participants are also free to choose which materials they wish to use. The inmates decide for themselves whether or not to include their works in the exhibition.
Objectives: To build a bridge between the outside and the inside. To explore themes such as freedom, humanity, inner orientation, "unavailability," and the light and shadow aspects of the human experience.
Artistic work & exhibition preparation: February 21, 2026 – April 25, 2026
The works created during the art workshops serve as inspiration. Each participant chooses whether their creations are displayed and used for the exhibition. The artist creates a collage from the works approved for display. She then reproduces the selected works on a large scale onto tarpaulins. She also develops her own work based on her impressions, creating two sculptures that will be exhibited alongside the tarpaulins.
Goal: To find an artistic expression—moving from the inside out. To give expression to one's own emotional response. To give the prisoners a voice and visibility through the artwork.
Exhibition: May 2, 2026 – May 18, 2026, on the outer walls of the Freiburg Correctional Facility (JVA Freiburg), address: Hermann-Herder-Straße 8, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau. Passersby will have the opportunity to share their reactions with the prisoners (digitally and/or via a mailbox).
The artist will also be present on-site for dialogue:
- Stadtgarten (City Park) on May 3, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, during the opening of OPEN ART 26
- Hermann-Herder-Straße 8, on May 8, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Hermann-Herder-Straße 8, on May 17, from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Goal: To use the art exhibition to create visibility for those who otherwise lack the means or opportunity for it. To gather feedback from the city and the outside world. To build a bridge to the prison—a place that is otherwise inaccessible and beyond reach. What resonates within YOU? What questions have you always wanted to ask a prisoner? What does the artwork evoke in *you*?
Resonance from the outside in: The artist involves the prisoners in the exhibition by bringing photos and feedback back into the correctional facility and sharing them with the inmates.
Goal: To make resonance tangible and something that can be experienced; to foster a sense of agency and belonging to society.
Photo credit: Britt Schilling Photography (in "Strafraum")
Insights into the project: Works created by the prisoners
The following photos show the artworks created by the prisoners during the art sessions. The prisoners selected these works themselves and consented to their publication in photographic form on this website. The works serve as a basis for the objects the artist is preparing for the exhibition.
quotes: what prisoners say
"The Friday art session is the one bright spot in my week—a time when I can forget the daily grind of prison life and find some relaxation." – An inmate
source: https://jobfox.de/jva-freiburg/
"I feel split in two – one side is visible, and the other half of my face has vanished..."
source: https://jobfox.de/jva-freiburg/
"The way the clouds drift and constantly change shape shows me that time is moving forward after all—even though, in here, it feels like a standstill and an eternity..."
source: https://jobfox.de/jva-freiburg/
"How do you stand up for yourself in the prison system without being punished for it all over again?"
"There is no privacy here..."
source: https://jobfox.de/jva-freiburg/
"The thought that this is just a waystation in my life carries me through it..."
"Coming to terms with it is the first step—accepting the situation... only then can you focus on what comes next."
source: https://jobfox.de/jva-freiburg/
"My beloved family, faith in God, the birds, and nature—all of this gives hope."
source of fotos: Homepage of prison JVA Freiburg and Britt Schilling Fotografie
links - here is more documentation about the project
Clicking on the respective image takes you directly to the corresponding homepage.
With the kind permission and support of the Freiburg Correctional Facility for the project
