How artists depicted the collapse of the GDR
In the show "Point of No Return," the Museum of Fine Arts Leipzig looks into how the years leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall were depicted in the arts.
Social change on canvas
The years preceding the fall of the Berlin Wall inspired many East German artists, who translated the period of sociopolitical upheaval into their works. With "Point of No Return," the Museum of Fine Arts Leipzig (MdbK) presents the first overarching exhibition looking into how they perceived the Peaceful Revolution in East Germany. Shown here is an untitled work by Cornelia Schleime.
A depiction of pain
The exhibition highlights the growing sense of insecurity experienced by the population during that period. Pain can be felt in many of the works. "Perhaps we needed 30 years to take a step back to better understand those artists and their works," says co-curator Alfred Weidinger to explain the timing of the exhibition. Trak Wendisch's "Zungenabschneider" (Tongue Cutter) is from 1988.
Quo vadis?
Doris Ziegler created this painting in reaction to the lack of orientation she observed in those around her. Entitled "Grosse Passage" (Grand Passage), Ziegler didn't portray the social changes of the time as an opportunity but rather used shades of gray to represent the lack of perspective that many felt. People are shown feeling at a loss and insecure about the future, hiding behind masks.
Communist friendship in art
Others like Norbert Wagenbrett created works depicting the friendship between East Germany and the Soviet Union. Wagenbrett was commissioned by the Society for German–Soviet Friendship to produce the series "Seven Images on Soviet history," with this particular one titled "Aufbruch" (Eve of a New Era). The commissioned paintings were created without state influence.
Each day like the next
Born and raised in Dresden, Lutz Fleischer was a permanent fixture on the city's underground scene, which was particularly active in the 1970s. In this 1981 painting titled "Trunkenes Paar" (Drunk Couple), he aimed to depict the realities of living under the GDR dictatorship: There were no noteworthy moments to any given day, with each day just ending at the local pub.