And now

Kunstlerhaus Bethanien (old venues), Berlin

The exhibition traces the work of a selected group of female artists from the GDR - among which some have been discussed only sparsely in the overall German art historical field. The exhibition shows work from the 1980s made under 'socialistic conditions of production' and as well as artistic developments and positions in the new social system of the 1990s. Furthermore, the show highlights the artists' statements and expressions in the 2000s.

comunicato stampa

Curated by Angelika Richter & Beatrice E. Stammer
Co-curated by Bettina Knaup

The exhibition and now traces the work of a selected group of female artists from the GDR – among which some have been discussed only sparsely in the overall German art historical field. The exhibition shows work from the 1980s made under “socialistic conditions of production” and as well as artistic developments and positions in the new social system of the 1990s. Furthermore, the show highlights the artists’ statements and expressions in the 2000s.

The exhibition and now leverages known names – yet at the same time rediscovers the unconventional and highly individual approaches of the artists, their resistance strategies, subversion and deconstruction of power. A strong focus lies on performative and interdisciplinary works from the late 1980s.

Participating artists: Tina Bara, Annemirl Bauer, Else Gabriel, Angela Hampel, Verena Kyselka, Christine Schlegel, Cornelia Schleime, Gundula Schulze Eldowy, Gabriele Stötzer, Erika Stürmer-Alex, Ramona Welsh, Karla Woisnitza.

At the times of state socialism in the GDR, performance art was hardly visible. Until the late 1980s, efforts to show this new type of art publicly were disrupted, and partly criminalized and supressed by the officials. Improvisation was a necessity in the GDR and thus became an important factor in the art practice that was not supported by the state.

Whereas aspects of male performance art in the GDR have been discussed in art history, the question, what role female artists like Gabriele Stötzer, Cornelia Schleime, Christine Schlegel or Erika Stürmer- Alex played, has still not been researched sufficiently. In what ways did these artists influence the development of process-oriented art forms and artistical border crossing? The painter and sculptor Erika Stürmer-Alex for example is admired by insiders of the GDR art scene, but almost unknown to the broader public.

Even after the “Wende” in 1989, female artists from the GDR have still been widely overlooked. Up until this day, it takes an effort to gain insight into the work of generations of female artists from the GDR. The exhibition and now aims at counterbalancing this lack of knowledge and making changes in society and art visible.

Fringe events
Readings with Gabriele Stötzer on 28 November at 5 pm and with Else Gabriel on 12 December at 5 pm at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin-Kreuzberg.

Screening in the movie theatre Kino in der Brotfabrik, Caligariplatz on 6 December at 6 pm.

The exhibition catalogue will be published by Verlag für Moderne Kunst, Nürnberg.

For further information please contact: artpress – Ute Weingarten
Phone: +49 (0)30 2196 1843
artpress@uteweingarten.de

Image: Tina Bara, marylin 2002-2006 © Tina Bara

Opening 26 November 2009, 7 pm

Künstlerhaus Bethanien
Mariannenplatz 2, Berlin
Wednesday - Sunday 2pm - 7 pm
free admission

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permanent link

Kunstlerhaus Bethanien (old venues)

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