Affective Archives – Artists' Travels Abroad during the GDR

Freedom of art and travel were severely restricted in the GDR - and yet artists and their works crossed borders before and behind the Iron Curtain. The project "Affektive Archive - Auslandsreisen von Künstler:innen zur Zeit der DDR" (Affective Archives – Artists' Travels Abroad during the GDR), funded by the Thyssen Foundation, is dedicated to the recollections of trips undertaken, imagined, and prevented, and searches for their archival traces and artistic testimonies.

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Wichtige Themen im Überblick

Art in Networks

"Art in Networks: The GDR and its Global Relations" is a digital research platform that sheds light on the international networks of the GDR in art. In video interviews, artists and scholars talk about international exhibitions and cultural agreements, among other things - travel is also an important topic. The project was carried out in 2022 under the direction of Prof. Kerstin Schankweiler.

Ausstellungsansicht „Revolutionary Romances? Globale Kunstgeschichten in der DDR“

Exhibition "Revolutionary Romances"

The exhibition "Revolutionary Romances. Transcultural Art Histories in the GDR" at the Albertinum in Dresden features works from the SKD collection that illuminate the GDR's international relations with countries of the Global South in arts and culture. A prologue exhibition took place in summer 2022, the opening of the main exhibition is planned for November 2023.

Symposium "Reise(Un)Freiheit – Mobilitäten von Künstler*innen während des Kalten Krieges"

Das Symposium widmet sich den Spannungsfeldern der Reise(un)freiheit. Themen sind die politischen Rahmenbedingungen und persönlichen Motivationen für Auslandsreisen, imaginierte und durchgeführte Reisen sowie ihr Niederschlag in der Kunst. Wie wurden Reisen individuell ausgestaltet und Restriktionen mitunter umgangen? In welchem Verhältnis steht eine Kunstgeschichte des (Nicht-)Reisens während des Kalten Krieges zu dem Topos der vielbehandelten „Künstlerreise“? Welche methodischen Zugänge bieten sich für eine Auseinandersetzung mit dem Thema an? Diesen Fragen nähert sich das Symposium vom 30. und 31. Mai 2024 im Albertinum in Dresden.

Welcome!

Since April 2023, the small team around Prof. Kerstin Schankweiler, Jule Lagoda (M.A.) and Nora Kaschuba (M.A.) has been researching the topic of foreign travel by artists during the GDR era. The project is funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation until March 2025.

To what extent did artists from the GDR travel abroad - or were they politically prevented from doing so? How were these experiences reflected in their works? And was the GDR itself also a destination for artists from other countries?
Methodologically, the project combines in-depth archival research with art-historical analysis and oral art history. It aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the various forms of travel by artists and objects and their affective dimensions.

Read more about the project "Affective Archives - Artists' Travels Abroad during the GDR".

Professur für Bildwissenschaft im globalen Kontext

https://tu-dresden.de/gsw/phil/ikm/kuge/der-fachbereich/die-professuren-des-fachbereichs/professur-bildwissenschaft