Cyrill Lachauer. The Sunset Route at Kunstpalais Erlangen

Cyrill Lachauer. The Sunset Route at Kunstpalais: When Landscape Becomes Narrative

The Kunstpalais Erlangen invites you to an art experience with The Sunset Route that combines photography, film, and installation into an immersive exploration of the works. The exhibition gathers works from 2020 to 2026 and opens up an aesthetic experience between poetic calm and political tension. At the center is Cyrill Lachauer's idea of narrative landscape: spaces where people, places, history, materiality, and memory intertwine inseparably. ([erlangen-news.de](https://www.erlangen-news.de/en/events/exhibitions/cyrill-lachauer-the-sunset-route-26061913390178))

Landscape as Speaking Space

Lachauer understands landscape not as a backdrop but as a bearer of stories. His works raise questions about freedom, self-determination, resistance, colonization, exclusion, and exploitation. This is precisely where the strength of his visual language lies: it combines documentary precision with poetic condensation, making visible how closely places and biographies are intertwined. The title refers to the Sunset Route, that historical railway connection in the southwestern USA that has also been used by homeless travelers since the late 19th century. ([erlangen-news.de](https://www.erlangen-news.de/en/events/exhibitions/cyrill-lachauer-the-sunset-route-26061913390178))

Film, Photography, and Installation in Dialogue

At the center is the film project Slack, complemented by the short films The Prologue and The Epilogue. Additionally, photographic works such as Cardboard & Copenhagen and Birds (Nat. Geo. 1989–1999) come into play, where observation, collage, and poetic intensification interweave. The Kunstpalais presents the works in a new, site-specific arrangement, allowing the space itself to open up as part of the narrative. Lachauer, born in 1979 in the Inn Valley, studied directing, ethnology, and fine arts and has been working for years at the intersection of visual art, research, and social reflection. ([erlangen-news.de](https://www.erlangen-news.de/en/events/exhibitions/cyrill-lachauer-the-sunset-route-26061913390178))

Curated for Attentive Viewing

Curated by Susanne Touw and Malte Lin-Kröger, the exhibition was created in collaboration with the Sammlung Goetz and fits into the profile of the Kunstpalais as a house for international contemporary art with an educational mission. The museum regularly links its programs with art education offerings, guided tours, and workshops. Those interested in contemporary art, cultural education, and conceptual exhibitions will find a place here for focused engagement. ([erlangen-news.de](https://www.erlangen-news.de/en/events/exhibitions/cyrill-lachauer-the-sunset-route-26061913390178))

Visit to Kunstpalais Erlangen

The Kunstpalais is located in the baroque Palais Stutterheim at the marketplace and is accessible from Erlangen Train Station in just a few minutes on foot. The exhibition spaces in the basement are accessible by elevator; additionally, there is barrier-free access, a disabled-friendly toilet, and seating available. The regular admission is 8 euros, reduced 4 euros. ([kunstpalais-erlangen.de](https://www.kunstpalais-erlangen.de/de/133/Besuch-planen.html?utm_source=openai))

Conclusion: The Sunset Route promises not a quick view but a dense, sustainable encounter with photography, film, and space. Those who engage with this exhibition experience contemporary art as an open question, as a visual exploration, and as an intense look at landscape, history, and present. A live visit to the Kunstpalais Erlangen is definitely worthwhile. ([erlangen-news.de](https://www.erlangen-news.de/en/events/exhibitions/cyrill-lachauer-the-sunset-route-26061913390178))

Cyrill Lachauer's Official Channels:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kunstpalais/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kunstpalais/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Kunstpalais
• Website: https://www.kunstpalais.de/

Sources:

• Kunstpalais Erlangen - Plan Your Visit
• Kunstpalais Erlangen - Accessibility
• Sammlung Goetz - Cyrill Lachauer
• Haus der Kunst Munich - Cyrill Lachauer
• Erlangen News - Cyrill Lachauer. The Sunset Route
• City Erlangen - Cyrill Lachauer. The Sunset Route