The Kosmos Art Calendar: A powerful artistic debut
16 January 2026
Album: Udo Lindenberg, Kosmos, 1995 © Udo Lindenberg Archive
By 1995, Udo Lindenberg had long since reached the zenith of his success as a musician and established himself as a rock star. But Udo also had another side, one that hadn't been part of his career until then. Most people weren't aware that he had been creating his first drawings on waiter's pads for years, portraying friends and colleagues. It wasn't until that year, with the release of the album, that this side of him came to light. KosmosHe then enters the public eye as a visual artist. Twelve drawings accompany the songs on the album and are published as an art calendar.
Love and passion in sound and color
I want to rent out the space in my heart again | When you sleep with him | Roof of the World I, all 1995 © Udo Lindenberg Archive
They come in bright and vibrant colors. Kosmos-The illustrations therefore fit perfectly with the experimental sounds that combine to form an unusual overall work on the record. I want to rent out the space in my heart again. The story tells of the desire to offer one's broken heart to a new love. This opens up an analogy to an apartment that is to be re-let after being occupied by a neglectful person. In the accompanying image, a man wears a T-shirt with the inscription "1000.- cold" directly over his heart. Thus, the symbolism of renting is also played with visually in connection with love.
The melancholy of the song If you sleep with him This is expressed very directly on the visual level. A couple is shown having sex – both look unhappy; the woman is even depicted with a tear, while the man wears a rather disinterested expression. At the edge of the picture, the lyrical "I" from the song becomes visible, wondering whether his former partner thinks of him when she is with her new partner. Udo revisits this motif in two works in 1996. Here, the third person watching is not visible, but the oppressive atmosphere is again conveyed through the couple's sad expressions.
There are also several versions of the roof of the worldThe song is about a couple who forget everything around them, isolate themselves from the world, and ultimately "suffocate from love." The couple's isolation, both romantic and somber, is made tangible in the visuals through strong, dark blue tones. A small yellow house stands on a globe, into which the lovers retreat. The emptiness and vastness of the surroundings express the loneliness the couple enters, but also show that countries, seas, other people, and conflicts are insignificant to them. The curse and blessing of this all-encompassing love are made clear both in the sound and on the screen.
Sex, drugs & existential crises
They Don't Know Their Names I | Cosmos | Emergency Exit, all 1995 © Udo Lindenberg Archive
The song is more explicit. They do not know their names Here, two strangers meet on a train and give free rein to their passion – the fact that they don't know each other and don't want to makes their encounter particularly alluring. In the image, the two appear naked against a striking, bright orange background. Beyond the obvious sexual component, however, another layer is revealed. Until the train arrives, the man and woman sit naked next to each other. Their faces show that the previous sexual encounter makes them uncomfortable and that the unknown, which was previously attractive, is now all the more apparent to them.
The album's title track is also included. Kosmos The song receives an artistic interpretation. Udo sings about a god who is "totally on X-stasy." With the help of various drugs, God embarks on a trip through the galaxy. The humorous theme is further developed in the artwork. Color gradients, planets and stars, a god with flowing hair and a long beard surfing on a planet: the lightheartedness and dynamism of the song are beautifully captured here. The ecstasy pun is made possible by a large "X" that God wears on his chest.
Drug excesses are portrayed less humorously in the song. Emergency exit The theme is explored. A man is weary of the monotony of his life and searches in vain for the next big thrill. A zest for life and weariness of life collide here. Discouraged, the protagonist sits in a bar and imagines burning all his bridges and truly living again. Udo immortalizes this scene in his drawing. Three men sit in a bar with downturned mouths; a question mark hovers above the head of the man in the center – a symbol of life's existential questions and the desire to break free from everyday life that are going through his mind. In the foreground of the picture, a playing card is visible: the red heart perhaps a sign of unfulfilled dreams of love and life, or a glimmer of hope for the future? Interestingly, the red of the card reappears on the lapels of the three men; this, too, may be a reference to broken hearts. Tragedy and hope lie close together here and are further linked by Udo through the division of the picture into a somber blue field and a bright yellow area.
The KosmosDrawings marked the beginning of Udo's artistic career. Just a year later, his works were featured in his first exhibition, and many more have followed since – most recently, of course, here at the LUDWIGGALERIE! What will the future hold for Udo Lindenberg's artistic universe? We'll certainly be watching with interest!
Lena Elster
General