Friedrich Wagner moved from Munich to Greifswald in 1998 and lived and worked there for 17 years. During this time, he played a key role in establishing the IPP in Greifswald and in the Wendelstein 7-X project.

The birth of his two grandchildren was the deciding factor in his return to Munich. “Growing old with grandchildren nearby is easier,” he says. Yet, as for others too, the bond with Greifswald was not so easy to sever. That is why he regularly returns to his former adopted home – this year coinciding with his third exhibition at Greifswald Town Hall, following those in 2019 and 2022. “I am very grateful for the opportunity to exhibit at the Town Hall.”

The title of the exhibition, “Rück-Schau”, not only refers to his close ties with Greifswald but also sets the tone: most of the works on display were created between 2024 and 2026 and offer an insight into his artistic output over the past few years. Around 30 watercolours are on display. “Watercolour is generally regarded as one of the most demanding painting techniques.” Although Friedrich Wagner also paints in oils and has, moreover, engaged intensively with reverse-glass painting, watercolour holds a special place for him. Whilst oil painting allows for a more deliberate approach and a painting can be revised time and again, watercolour demands spontaneity and decisiveness. Corrections are usually only possible at the expense of quality. Yet this is precisely where its special appeal lies: the interplay of colour, water and paper constantly produces surprising effects that cannot be fully controlled. “Chance can become the watercolourist’s ally.”

The exhibition presents a wide range of subjects: landscapes and scenes from the artist’s Bavarian homeland, impressions from his travels – for example to Venice and Paris – but also memories of his adopted home of Vorpommern, which continue to inspire him to this day.