(...) In his latest group of works, Universal Thoughts (or whatnot) (2023), Georg Petermichl takes a look at his family of origin and inquires into the role of photography as a medium for documenting society and forging identity. The large size of the photographs, some of which are hung as unframed hand prints in dialogue with the space, stands in striking contrast to the intimacy of the respective images and the closeness in relationship they reveal, while deliberate over- or under-exposure allows for distance and an openness to interpretation. In the figure of a small ceramic hippopotamus, the artist ironically reflects on his own awkwardness in dealing with his unaccustomed (power) position as photographer in this picture of a family constellation. (...)