breaking out in the Old Prison Freising: Art between Border and Liberation

Breaking out in the Old Prison Freising: Art between Border and Liberation

In the Old Prison Freising, a historic place meets an exhibition that carries its title cleverly and openly: breaking out. From August 1 to 9, 2026, Hartmut Fenge and Elsa Nietmann will present a group exhibition that centers on movement, transition, and creative self-examination. The opening will take place on July 31, 2026, at 7 PM; admission is free. ([tourismus.freising.de](https://tourismus.freising.de/sehenswert/museen-kunstorte/ausstellungsorte-altstadt?utm_source=openai))

A Place with History that Enhances Art

The Old Prison is not a neutral white cube, but a structure with memories. Built in the 17th century, it served as a court prison until 1965 and was reopened to the public after a long period of vacancy through private initiative. Today, the exhibition rooms on the first floor and the prison tower with its baroque cells create a dense, almost physically palpable exhibition atmosphere. This spatial effect shapes every observation of the works. ([tourismus.freising.de](https://tourismus.freising.de/sehenswert/museen-kunstorte/ausstellungsorte-altstadt?utm_source=openai))

Elsa Nietmann: Wood, Movement and Inner Structure

Elsa Nietmann works as a sculptor with wood, developing her sculptures from a precise understanding of body, posture, and change. Her path led her through communication design, architecture, and various crafts to wood sculpture; in 2006 she completed vocational training for wood sculpting in Munich. In other exhibitions, her works have been described as abstract sculptures shaped with chainsaws, sometimes flamed and painted. Her works explore form, rhythm, and material limits with great sensual presence. ([muenchenarchitektur.com](https://www.muenchenarchitektur.com/bueroprofile/24357-elsa-nietmann?utm_source=openai))

Hartmut Fenge: Painting on the Threshold of the Indeterminate

Hartmut Fenge moves as a painter in border areas between figuration and dissolution. The present outlook describes his works as spatial transitions, in which lines and surfaces are navigated in contour-focused drawings or color-reduced applications. A later exhibition cites paper works with oil pastels and the interplay between visible form and inner dynamics. Exactly therein lies the tension of his contribution: Painting becomes a place of searching, not of definitive fixing. ([in-muenchen.de](https://www.in-muenchen.de/events/uberwelt-tanzt-unterwelt.html?utm_source=openai))

Breaking Out as an Artistic and Cultural Motif

The title of the exhibition opens up several readings at once. It refers to leaving enclosed spaces, overcoming barriers, and stepping out of the comfort zone in the creative process. Especially in the context of sculpture and painting, a strong art experience emerges from this: wood, color, form, and space enter into a dialogue that appears both quiet and energetic. Those who immerse themselves in this exhibition will have an aesthetic experience between material closeness and intellectual breadth. ([tourismus.freising.de](https://tourismus.freising.de/unsere-tipps?utm_source=openai))

Visit, Tour, and Exhibition Experience

For visitors to Freising, the exhibition is attractive in multiple ways. The Old Prison shows exhibitions in the rooms of the building; according to tourist information, dates and opening hours can be accessed via the exhibition page. The address for visiting on-site is Brennergasse 1, 85354 Freising. The exhibition is designated as a free cultural offering and combines local art promotion with an extraordinary historical setting. ([tourismus.freising.de](https://tourismus.freising.de/sehenswert/museen-kunstorte/ausstellungsorte-altstadt?utm_source=openai))

Conclusion

breaking out promises a concentrated encounter with contemporary art that not only engages with the historical place but also enriches it content-wise. Between wood sculpture, painting, and the atmosphere of the Old Prison, a visit is created that resonates. Those seeking art with spatial depth, sensuality, and intellectual openness should experience this exhibition live in Freising. ([tourismus.freising.de](https://tourismus.freising.de/sehenswert/museen-kunstorte/ausstellungsorte-altstadt?utm_source=openai))

Official Channels of Hartmut Fenge and Elsa Nietmann:

• Instagram: no official profile found
• Facebook: no official profile found
• YouTube: no official profile found
• Website Hartmut Fenge: http://www.hartmutfenge.de
• Website Elsa Nietmann: https://www.elsanietmann.de

Sources:

• Tourism Freising – Exhibition Venue Old Town
• Tourism Freising – Our Tips for Your Visit to Freising
• Gallery Gerhard Grabsdorf – WoodHighThree
• muenchenarchitektur.com – Elsa Nietmann
• Events Freising – breaking out