The MdbK is showing a three-part exhibition on the history of immigration in the GDR and its consequences. The first part will present works by artists from the so-called socialist brother countries. Due to the international cultural diplomacy of the time, many of them were able to study at art schools in Leipzig, Dresden, East Berlin or Halle. Others fled their country of origin and found refuge in the GDR. This part of the exhibition is intended to broaden the spectrum of Leipzig art, to give new impulses with regard to a transnational history of art and culture, and to open the research perspective on art from East Germany in a constructive way. In total, the exhibition will display 80 paintings, works on paper and video works by César Olhagaray (*1951, Santiago de Chile, Chile), Getachew Yossef Hagoss (*1957, Dessie, Ethiopia), Michael Touma (*1956, Haifa, Israel), Mona Ragy Enayat (*1964, Cairo, Egypt), Rimer Cardillo (*1944, Montevideo, Uruguay), Solomon Wija (*1958, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), Teresa Casanueva (*1963, Havana, Cuba) and Semir Alschausky (*1962, Leipzig, Germany).
The second part of the exhibition is dedicated to the promotion of young artists. The MdbK will offer young artists with (post-)Mirgrant biographical references biographical reference to the GDR the opportunity to present their work in a group exhibition. Philipp Farra (*1991, Schönebeck (Elbe), Germany), Minh Duc Pham (*1991, Bad Schlema, Germany), Alina Simmelbauer (*1981, Sömmerda, Germany), Sarnt Utamachote (*1992, Thailand) and Phuong Phan (*1988, Hanoi, Vietnam) deal in their works, among other things, with their own family biography and the topic of migration.
The final part of the exhibition will address the taboo of racism in the GDR and the living conditions of contract workers, foreign students and their descendants. Photographs by the Leipzig photographer Mahmoud Dabdoub (*1958, Baalbeck, Lebanon) form one focus. In addition, the archive section brings together current (post-)migrant voices from Leipzig who express their perspectives on life in the GDR and on growing up as BIPOC in the Saxon province. Angelika Nguyen's documentary short film Bruderland ist abgebrannt from 1991, which is an important historical document, will also be shown in the archive room.
The exhibition will be accompanied by an extensive programme of events. More information here.
Watch the trailer here.
The exhibition is supported by the German Federal Cultural Foundation (Programme 360 degrees), the Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Saxony, the Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation and the Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship.
What does the exhibition trigger in you? What feedback would you like to give to the museum team? Write to us: re-connect@leipzig.de
