It is raining cats and dogs when we visit Nadia Kaabi-Linke in her studio, and on the third floor of the Kreuzberg rear building we first have to dry off. Nadia, who was born in Tunis, surprises us by speaking fluent Russian. For us, a class of children who have fled Ukraine, this is a blessing. Finally we can ask all our questions!

When we enter Erik Schmidt’s studio, the first thing that catches our eye are blobs of color: oil paint. But blobs of color is not the right word. The blobs of oil paint are as thick as fish bodies: green, pink-white, purple. Color fish?