Image Courtesy of Spyros Rennt.
In a world where intimacy feels more like a currency than a human instinct, Spyros Rennt is carving out space for something real. Especially in Berlin — a city that’s almost allergic to sentimentality — connection often feels either out of reach, romanticized, or already lost. But through his lens, Rennt captures intimacy not as a spectacle, but as something lived-in: the way bodies occupy space and the invisible threads we spin between each other without even realizing.
When we caught up over a call, it was about a month out from his biggest solo show yet, To Kiss Against the Fire. The title pulls from David Wojnarowicz — artist, activist, and voice of rage and tenderness during the AIDS crisis. In a time when even softness feels politicized, Rennt’s work doesn’t shout for attention; it simply refuses to be ignored. As we talked, it became clear: this isn’t about making ‘radical’ work for the sake of it. Rennt’s art feels radical simply by existing and holding space for intimacy in a world that often forgets how to.
Image Courtesy of Spyros Rennt.
SLEEK: You’re having your biggest solo show to date this Gallery Weekend, featuring works that span the last eight years. What has changed within you that also reflects a change in your work?
Spyros Rennt: I think as artists it’s normal that we don’t always stand behind every piece. With this exhibition, I really wanted to represent the current version of myself, but also the older version that’s still relevant in some way. I can still find the artist I am today in works from 2017 or 2018.
When I started around 2016, photography was mostly instinctual. Now, I usually have an idea beforehand about what the image is supposed to look like — and that definitely changed how my work looks today. A lot of people first found out about my work through nightlife or documenting sexuality. Those elements are still there, but this show especially focuses on intimacy and sensuality. It’s all different pieces of a puzzle that are now trying to fit into the 2025 version of me.
S: Intimacy is definitely the word I’d associate most with your photographs. Where, and in which spaces, do you find intimacy in a city like Berlin?
SR: Intimacy starts with the relationships you build. In my case, my work is really a documentation of the self. I document the relationships around me — but also my relationship to them.
I still see the club as a community space, even though I don’t go out as much as I used to. The relationships I formed there are still the ones I hold onto. Berlin is still very much a city defined by its nightlife, and I respect that.
Image Courtesy of Spyros Rennt.
S: I imagine trust plays a huge role in the process of taking these pictures.
SR: Trust is something you have to earn — something you have to work on. But I’ve always been lucky enough to be drawn to people who understand my work and my vision, even if we’re not necessarily close friends.
S: When you talk about your work, you often use the word “documenting.” Would you consider your photographs documentation, art — or maybe even activism?
SR: It depends on who’s looking at it. I think one of the great things about photography is that you’re always moving between different territories.
My work usually starts from a place of documentation — of archiving something that might be interesting in the future. The activism part comes into play because creating visibility really drives me, especially considering the current political climate in Germany, in Europe, and in the world. Everything is connected — and at the end of the day, it’s really up to the viewer. Especially with this show, everyone is invited — people with a fine arts background, people from the community — it’s not limited.
Image Courtesy of Spyros Rennt.
Image Courtesy of Spyros Rennt.
S: Staying with that idea — your work is for everyone, not just the community. As a queer artist, does being labeled as creating “queer art” bother you when you’re just simply making art?
SR: People are always eager to put you into boxes. I think I fit into many boxes. Again, it depends on who’s judging the work. There have been great artists in the past, like Andy Warhol or Robert Mapplethorpe, where we don’t always label their work strictly as queer art — even though their queerness was part of them. It didn’t define the entirety of their practice. The works in my upcoming show aren’t necessarily queer, and they’re not made exclusively for a queer audience. But I am queer — and they come from my experiences.
S: Does it automatically makes your work political?
SR: I’ve always made work with the awareness that I’m part of a minority. Growing up gay in Greece shaped that understanding. In 2025, things are getting harder for all minorities in general. From the beginning — even with my first book — my work has been a documentation of the underground: nightlife, queerness, my personal stories. All of it carries political subtext, whether directly or indirectly.
Image Courtesy of Spyros Rennt.
S: Has the meaning of some of your older work changed for you over time?
SR: Definitely. I often discover older pictures anew. Some images I feel more connected to now; others, I feel like I’ve already highlighted enough. When I put together a show, one of the most interesting parts for me is creating something new from the works I already have — trying out new combinations, seeing things differently. It keeps it fun for me.
‘To Kiss Against the Fire’ will be on screen at Rosengarden by Frontrose from May 3rd to May 30th. The opening will take place May 2nd from 6 to 9pm.