HFBK

As part of Wer schnupft am Schönsten? at HFBK Boutique, Elisa Zeisler constructs a room that houses an immersive installation. The installation draws on the extensive history of Bavarian snuff tobacco clubs (Schnupftabakmeisterschaften), tracing back to the 1960s – a community the artist entered by founding her own club in 2024 in Hamburg. Bringing the neon-coloured sports jerseys of her club into the microcosm of an old-fashioned Bavarian tavern, richly decorated with embroidered cloths and taxidermy trophies and populated by men in Lederhosen, Zeisler opens a dialogue between tradition and novelty. The work reflects on the tension between the scene’s conservative, patriarchal undercurrents and the voices of a younger generation.
The video work shown alongside the installation documents the artist’s journey into the world of snuff tobacco clubs, driven by her long-standing interest in stepping into psychological and physical spaces usually hidden from the general public. Zeisler’s artistic practice recreates these niche spaces within a gallery, allowing viewers to step inside and experience them firsthand.