Night Shifts is an annual artistic programme by Rosanna Graf, Lisa Klosterkötter, and Gesa Troch that unfolds across Hamburg’s public spaces throughout 2026, exploring the theme of darkness in eight distinct chapters.
Night Shifts opens its eight-part annual program by activating a unique site in Hamburg’s port area. Reflecting the unseen world of nocturnal labor and global circulation, the event invites guests into the grounds of the Wilhelmsburg container company Unitainer GmbH, where painter Cecilie Norgaard unveils a new, site-specific work.
The evening begins at 6:00 pm, as the three Nachtwächterinnen (night watchwomen) lead a performative guided walk through the gathering twilight.
Norgaard’s imagery navigates the space between ambiguity and everyday life, between reference and estrangement. Her motifs—everyday objects and familiar places—play with shifts in scale and subtle twists of reality. This creates a dynamic dialogue between the harbor’s functional landscape and an artistic cosmos that mirrors the symbols, rhythms, and restless energy of Hamburg’s nocturnal cityscape.
Getting there:
Take the Ferry 73 at 5:30 pm from Landungsbrücken to Ernst-August-Schleuse. On arrival, the first Nachwächterin will guide you to the venue (a 15-minute walk). If arriving by car, parking is available on site at Reiherstiegdeich 55.
Departure:
The last return ferries from Ernst-August-Schleuse to Landungsbrücken depart at 9:10 pm and 9:50 pm. The walk from the exhibition to the ferry terminal is about 15 minutes. Please plan to arrive at the pier a few minutes early, as ferries may sometimes depart ahead of schedule.
Instagram: night__shifts
