Indescribably feminine: GDR art shows strong women in Cottbus

Indescribably feminine: GDR art shows strong women in Cottbus

At the Cottbus diesel power plant, everything currently revolves around the GDR's multi-faceted art scene. The exhibition “Indescribably Female” shows an impressive picture of women in the GDR until August 10th and highlights the works of little-known artists. A highlight is the drawing “Woman in a Wheel” by Sabine Herrmann, which addresses the tension between vulnerability and perseverance. Monika Geilsdorf, who proudly presented herself as a young woman in a self-portrait in 1976, reflected the reality of equal rights. In 1894, Hans Jüchser created an impressive portrait of his wife Helga, which is stylistically impressive in its elegant pose.

The atmosphere of the exhibitions is enriched by the photographs of Evelyn Richter, who focus on female workers in the workplace, while Rudolf Bergander painted the “Trümmerfrauen” in 1955 in gentle realism. A series of images that deal with topics such as the aging body and loneliness is particularly touching. This also includes the photography of Gundula Schulze Eldowy, which accompanied Tamerlan, an old woman, for years. An accompanying cabinet exhibition also highlights youth rebelism and punk in the GDR, with a clear focus on local actors.

A look into the past

Anyone interested in the cultural trends of the GDR has even more options at the Cottbus diesel power plant. The exhibition “Against the Grain or Danced Rage” runs until August 17th and the show “Sendung aus dem Gegenraum” can be seen until August 24th. The latter deals with strategies of networking under state control and shows, among other things, portraits of young women in the 1920s style by Clemens Gröszer. A hand-drawn list from the Stasi records archive contains “negative-decadent young people” who were perceived as part of the scene.

Posters, photos and film clips provide a vivid insight into the punk scene of the time. A quote from Lutz Dammbeck reflects the connection between state artists and the counter-revolutionary avant-garde, while the exhibitions show a relaxed relationship to the heroization of dissidentism. The posters from Eigen + Art, which document the beginnings of the gallery in an attic apartment in Leipzig in 1983, are also exciting.

Music as resistance

Another highlight at the diesel power plant was the traveling exhibition “Free jazz in the GDR. World standard in the surveillance state”. This exhibition, which was created in cooperation between the Berlin Remembrance Laboratory and the House of Brandenburg-Prussian History, addressed the exciting development of the free jazz scene in the GDR. Despite a surveillance state, this style of music flourished from the early 1970s and produced internationally sought-after musicians.

The opening day, November 21, 2013, including the concert by Helmut “Joe” Sachse and Uwe Kropinski, was a complete success. Exhibits from the art museum's collection document the creative power of this movement. Equally exciting are the state's reactions, which ranged from incomprehension to pressure and offers of support. The exhibition illuminated the joy of playing and enjoying the free jazz scene and offers an interesting reminder of the cultural cradle of the GDR.

The Cottbus diesel power plant remains an important place for keeping the cultural history of the GDR alive. Not only does it offer a look at the past, but it also reflects how art and music found a voice in resistance to state control. Anyone interested in this topic is cordially invited to visit the current exhibitions and immerse themselves in an epochal time.

You can find out more about the current exhibitions in the reports taz and from Niederlausitz Current read up.