In the mid-1980s the “Begegnungen in Ateliers” series” took Karin Wieckhorst to Halle, Dresden, Karl-Marx-Stadt, Berlin and Leipzig, to artists born in the years 1933–1961. The pictures taken there stand in contrast to prints reworked by the respective artists, confronting the gaze of the photographer with their artistic self-perception. This gave rise to a unique reflection of the art scene at that time. It ranges from the Halle-based painter Otto Möhwald (1933-2016) to Max Uhlig (*1937) in Dresden and the youngest, Neo Rauch (*1960) and Sabine Herrmann (*1961).
The “Frauenporträts” series was created directly after reunification. For this project Karin Wieckhorst sought out 31 women born between 1906 and 1971. All of them lived in the GDR prior to 1989. However, the photographer not only wanted to capture the women in their different living situations, but also the respective expectations and experiences. She therefore wrote down their biographies, which she added alongside the photographs. Life history, dreams and disappointments are presented next to the black and white portraits. The photographs and texts of Karin Wieckhorst’s “Frauenporträts” grant a highly personal point of access to the history of the 20th century.
The catalogue (in german language) is published by E. A. Seemann Verlag and available from bookshops and at the museum ticket desk at the price of € 29,95
The exhibition is sponsored by Sparkasse Leipzig.
