Sorrow
The series Sorrow, by Winkhaus takes a harrowing look at a societal phenomenon that is often suppressed or trivialized: children with weapons. The works depict boys who still appear almost innocent—one even reminiscent of the "Kinder Chocolate boy"—yet they hold guns in their hands. This staging plays with the stark contrast between innocence and violence, between childhood and destruction.
The pressing question is: How did they get here? What societal mechanisms led them to this point? Poverty, war, ideology, fractured social structures—all of these can push children into roles they were never meant to play. The weapons in their hands are not just symbols of violence but also of manipulation, a lack of alternatives, and the systematic exploitation by those who wage wars without ever taking part in them.
But Sorrow, by Winkhaus goes even further: the works not only depict these children but deliberately employ an aesthetic of trivialization. The boys appear almost as heroes, as tragic figures in a system that has long since swallowed them whole. Is this a critique or a shocking normalization? By transforming the image of the child soldier into an artistic, almost iconic representation, Winkhaus’ message can be read in two ways: as a bitter commentary on a society that accepts such realities—or as a dangerous romanticization that conceals the true horror.
The art provokes, but it also forces confrontation: How far can aesthetics go when depicting real suffering? And ultimately, who bears responsibility—the children who hold the weapons, or the world that left them no other choice?