From March 9 to May 18, 2025, Kunsthalle Erfurt will present the exhibition The Cute Escape: Empathy, Empowerment, Sensitivity. The opening will take place on March 8, 2025, at 6 PM.
♡ CUTE ♡
March 9, 2025, 11:00 AM – May 18, 2025, 6:00 PM
The Cute Escape: Empathy, Empowerment, Sensitivity
♡ About the Exhibition ♡
Soft colors, playful motifs, oversized comic eyes, and endearing figures—the aesthetics of cuteness are taking over contemporary art. But what lies behind the widespread phenomenon of Cute Art? Can art with soft forms deliver sharp criticism? When does care become political—or even radical? Is escapism an act of self-care or a form of refusal? And what happens when art no longer shocks but instead comforts and soothes?
One thing is certain: Cuteness knows no borders, and its language is universally understood. In the internationally curated exhibition The Cute Escape, more than 20 artists from Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Germany, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Austria, Scotland, and the United States demonstrate how an aesthetics of cuteness and care has become firmly established in contemporary art—serving a wide range of formal, intellectual, and political purposes.
Like Alice in Wonderland tumbling down the rabbit hole, visitors are guided through a world of wondrous creatures, captivating colors, and deeply empathetic moments by sculptures, installations, videos, paintings, and photographs. The exhibition merges the analog and digital, pop culture and internet culture. It is a world where friendship and community are celebrated, where fantasy and care intertwine, where old toys take on new and surprising meanings, and where even so-called kitsch invites collective wonder.
The Cute Escape explores this multifaceted New Cuteness. What strategies do artists develop to navigate the space between the need for security and comfort and the critical reflection of societal challenges? How do they engage with the pressing issues of our time? Historical influences and artistic traditions help to contextualize the development of this aesthetic. Long gone are the days when cuteness and softness were merely associated with weakness or infantilization—today, they have emerged as powerful tools of empowerment. Empathy and sensitivity are reclaimed as strengths in the pursuit of human connection.
The childlike, the feminine, and the popular: A dinosaur singing karaoke, caves made of fabric and fur that invite visitors to hide away, stuffed animals and toys that touch our inner child. Such motifs provide comfort in an era marked by democratic crises, global warming, and nationalism—where the longing for community and solidarity continues to grow.
Since the 20th century, cultural self-perception has been shaped by avant-gardism and coolness—elitist and unattainable. Emotional restraint was seen as a sign of strength, while vulnerability and sensitivity were dismissed as weakness. Cute Art marks a paradigm shift: toward care and responsibility. The artists in The Cute Escape reveal that softness and delicacy can also embody courage and resistance—creating an aesthetic that soothes while simultaneously opening new spaces for care and empowerment.
♡ Featuring Works by ♡
Neven Allgeier, Jacob Samuel Beck, Mona Broschár, Niclas Castello, Christa Dichgans, Famed, Harry Hachmeister, Hypernormalisa, Zsófia Keresztes, Lena Kuzmich, Rachel Maclean, Tomoko Nagai, Nhozagri, Christiane Peschek, Monira Al Qadiri, Mary-Audrey Ramirez, Ayako Rokkaku, Theresa Rothe, Mark Ryden, Jamie Scholnick, Josefine Schulz, Nina Vandeweghe, Marta Vovk, and others.
♡ Curated by ♡
Annekathrin Kohout & Philipp Schreiner
♡ Sponsors ♡
Liebelt Foundation, Hamburg
Sparkasse Mittelthüringen
Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Hessen-Thüringen
Sparkassenversicherung
♡ Media Partner ♡
Kunstforum International
♡ Cultural Partner ♡
MAG-C
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What exactly is Cute Art? Is cuteness in art a refuge—or a progressive vision of the future? Can soft forms deliver sharp criticism? When does care become political—or even radical? What role does empathy play—in art, but also in society? Is escapism an act of self-care or a form of refusal? And what happens when art no longer shocks but instead soothes?
Accompanying the exhibition, our glossary provides insights and access to the key concepts and questions of The Cute Escape and the aesthetics of care—from affect and empowerment to escapism and kawaii 🌸🧸✨
“Affect” in THE CUTE ESCAPE: Empathy, Empowerment, Sensitivity
The spontaneous, physical, and emotional reaction to cute stimuli—like an instinctive “Awww!”—is central to the impact of cuteness. This reaction often occurs uncontrollably and creates an immediate connection between the viewer and the cute object.
In cultural theory, affects are both criticized and valued: critics see them as a means of manipulation since they are linked to predictable and therefore controllable responses—whether through advertising, consumer culture, or social media. The concern is that affects might diminish critical distance and steer us into emotionally predetermined paths.
On the other hand, affects are credited with a great potential for empathy. They encourage spontaneous connection, resonance, and solidarity. In art and pop culture, affects are often intentionally used to create emotionally moving moments that can transcend social barriers and enable new forms of exchange.
“Empathy” in THE CUTE ESCAPE: Empathy, Empowerment, Sensitivity
In contemporary discourse, empathy is increasingly understood as a link between art, ethics, and social relationships and interactions. Donna Haraway has expanded on this perspective. She emphasizes that empathy can be experienced not only between humans but also between species and objects. “We must make ourselves kin to feel responsibility for each other,” writes the philosopher in her book Staying with the Trouble (2016). This aligns with the concept of cuteness, as it enables (emotional) involvement.
Haraway’s call to actively shape our relationships with other living beings provides a valuable perspective for understanding cuteness as a cultural tool for empathy training and critical reflection.
Fundamentally, empathy describes the ability to put oneself in the feelings of another person or being. Historically, the term was coined in the 19th century. Through Theodor Lipps, it entered aesthetics, particularly in theories about the perception of artworks. Lipps understood empathy as a process of imitation and projection, allowing one to actively experience the qualities of an object. These ideas profoundly influenced the aesthetics of the 20th century by demonstrating how art and emotions are closely intertwined.
In art, empathy encompasses both emotional resonance with figures and scenarios and the perception of moods and atmospheres. Therefore, empathy plays a central role not only between subjects but also in the relationship to artistic representations.