Conference “Between system and self-design. Women artists in East Germany 1949-today.”
With the interdisciplinary workshop “Between role clichés and rebellion: women in art history and their representations”, the Museum Lyonel Feininger opened up an in-depth examination of the role of women in art – as producers and as represented subjects. The conference “Between system and self-design. Women Artists in East Germany 1949-today” continues this debate and focuses on women artists in the historical context of the GDR and on developments after 1990 up to the present day.
The starting point is the exhibition “Women are …!”, which is linked to the symposium (20 August 2026-11 January 2027), which focuses on five female artists with East German biographies – Grita Götze, Kerstin Grimm, Kat Menschik, Luise Neupert and Tanja Pohl. On display are exclusively depictions of women, created by women artists. The exhibition addresses the question of whether and to what extent female artists with East German biographies in particular are perceived nationally and internationally – and to what extent their presence in the art-historical discourse requires renewed discussion.