the
unwanted
touch

Anatomy of an
Overreaching Society

Everyone tugs, pulls, and tears at me. Everyone knows what I need before I know it myself. They whisper of healing, purpose, and belonging. They lure with closeness while they reach out to grasp. “Look at me.” “Buy me.” “For free.”

I live in a society that embraces me —
to reshape me.

the unwanted touch addresses the trauma of social transgression.

Its point of departure is the moment when the disregard for personal distance turns into psychological invasion. Every unwanted touch – whether physical or mental – pierces the protective membrane of the individual. The result is not merely discomfort, but a measurable, cellular wound: a state of ongoing insecurity, threat, and inner depletion.

The series visualizes this condition as a continuous act of self-defense. The human being responds by hardening — forming a symbolic armor to preserve the remnants of their violated integrity. This crust becomes a visible metaphor of emotional paralysis — a paralysis that embodies shame, disgust, and self-protection alike.

the unwanted touch stands as an artistic appeal:
Personal boundaries are a non-negotiable right.

Request Details

noplease

The motifs of the noplease series form the thematic core of the work. They explore the societal normalization of transgression and the resulting emotional paralysis.

The wall serves as a symbol of society – a space where proximity turns into threat. At the center stands the figure as an emblem of inner erosion — the point where shame and disgust merge into a permanent state.

one

the unwanted touch – no,please I, figure with blue cracked body texture before a blue wall, surrounded by abstract organic animal and creature heads, one hand raised to the head, the other arm protectively across the body, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame
the unwanted touch – no,please I, figure with blue cracked body texture before a blue wall, surrounded by abstract organic animal and creature heads, one hand raised to the head, the other arm protectively across the body, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame the unwanted touch – no,please I, figure with blue cracked body texture before a blue wall, surrounded by abstract organic animal and creature heads, one hand raised to the head, the other arm protectively across the body, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame

two

the unwanted touch – no,please II, central figure with lowered gaze and arms drawn in front of the body, several faces and hands pressing in on her from the blue wall, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame
the unwanted touch – no,please II, central figure with lowered gaze and arms drawn in front of the body, several faces and hands pressing in on her from the blue wall, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame the unwanted touch – no,please II, central figure with lowered gaze and arms drawn in front of the body, several faces and hands pressing in on her from the blue wall, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame

three

the unwanted touch – no,please III, central figure with closed eyes and hand at the throat, surrounded by multiple blue figures emerging from the wall surface and reaching for her, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame
the unwanted touch – no,please III, central figure with closed eyes and hand at the throat, surrounded by multiple blue figures emerging from the wall surface and reaching for her, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame the unwanted touch – no,please III, central figure with closed eyes and hand at the throat, surrounded by multiple blue figures emerging from the wall surface and reaching for her, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame

defeated.
broken.

The motifs defeated. broken. focus on the aftermath of psychological and physical violation. They depict exhaustion, silence, and inner hardening in the wake of collapse.

These works stand as quiet witnesses to what transgression leaves behind – images of withdrawal, loss, and emotional paralysis.

one

the unwanted touch – defeated, broken I, woman with cracked, crusted skin looks through a narrow rectangular wall opening, one hand raised to the face, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame
the unwanted touch – defeated, broken I, woman with cracked, crusted skin looks through a narrow rectangular wall opening, one hand raised to the face, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame the unwanted touch – defeated, broken I, woman with cracked, crusted skin looks through a narrow rectangular wall opening, one hand raised to the face, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame

two

the unwanted touch – defeated, broken II, woman with closed eyes breaks through a crumbling opening in a weathered wall, hand placed on the cheek, face merging with blue tones and wall texture, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame
the unwanted touch – defeated, broken II, woman with closed eyes breaks through a crumbling opening in a weathered wall, hand placed on the cheek, face merging with blue tones and wall texture, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame the unwanted touch – defeated, broken II, woman with closed eyes breaks through a crumbling opening in a weathered wall, hand placed on the cheek, face merging with blue tones and wall texture, Dirk Habenschaden, photo print on aluminium dibond, black shadow-gap frame

Production and Presentation

The works are produced as photographic prints on Alu Dibond and mounted in matte black floater frames.

noplease formats: 20×20 cm and 30×30 cm
defeated. broken. formats: 20×40 cm and 30×60 cm

Each motif has been manually refined, precisely adjusted, and developed into a cohesive visual composition.

Toolstack

Research, Text, and Code ChatGPT and Perplexity – tools of reflection and condensation
Image Generation Midjourney – the core of my work with Visual Generative AI since 2022
Video LUMA, Veo, and Midjourney bring the figures into motion