August 15–October 25, 2020
Chemnitz was once one of Germany’s richest cities in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; after the Nazi era, it became an exemplary city for East German socialism. Today, however, it is primarily perceived as a synonym for social tensions and socio-political conflicts. Hardly any other city has experienced as many upheavals in its historical development as Chemnitz has. They remain visible to this day, embedded in the disparate urban landscape.
Gegenwarten | Presences is an exhibition project that takes place right there, in Chemnitz’s public spaces, reacting to its surroundings. On display are projects by nineteen artists and collectives whose site-specific works of art—sculptures, installations, interventions, and performances—explore an array of the city’s historical, social, political, and urban issues.
Starting with current situations, the works of art refer to Chemnitz’s past and present alike. Relatively unfamiliar histories emerge. From the founding of the German Democratic Republic to the reunification of Germany, the city’s urban core and its surrounding quarters have persistently experienced these social, political, and economic upheavals in the form of profound architectural, economic and socio-cultural changes. This is illustrated not least by the fact that the city has been repeatedly renamed, going from Chemnitz to Karl-Marx-Stadt and back to Chemnitz.
Look from Chemnitz toward Europe
Gegenwarten | Presences looks toward Europe and the rest of the world through the eyes of Chemnitz. Social divisions had been springing up around the globe even before the coronavirus crisis began in 2020. Right-wing populist movements and nationalists began emerging internationally in 2015 at the latest. On the other hand, the effects of climate change demonstrate that humankind as a whole is confronted with great ecological challenges. All of these things are global phenomena, which are gradually polarizing the world and subverting democratic social structures. We live in heterogeneous times that are simultaneously characterized by extreme dualist thought. Many have their own set of values and worldviews, some of which also exist within an individual or virtual temporality.
Simultaneous Presences
Beginning with the observation that there are many parallel presences whose various perspectives and themes are dealt with in private spheres, but mainly in public spaces, this exhibition approaches individual thematic fields without wanting to, or actually being able to, claim that we are presenting a complete picture of presence or of Chemnitz. Tales of this city will always be individual and fragmentary. The exhibition’s themes have been directly generated out of the city and its contexts—now they are articulated, debated, and transformed through it. In the process, a major role is played by key topics such as economy and ecology, space and transformation, movement and migration, democracy and regression, co-creation and participation as well as working environment and reality of life.
Public art can help discover a city’s hidden sides, point up commonalities, synergistically link them together, and thus tell forgotten stories as well as new ones. Art is, moreover, able to make all of this visible and experiential, while proposing alternative presences to both residents and guests.
Participating Artists and Collectives
atelier le balto, Nadja Buttendorf, Anetta Mona Chişa & Lucia Tkáčová, Else Gabriel, Shilpa Gupta, Patricia Kaersenhout, Klub Solitaer e. V., Mischa Kuball, Philip Kojo Metz, Henrike Naumann, Olaf Nicolai, Observatorium, Ooze Architects & Marjetica Potrč, Oscar e. V./ Weltecho, Lydia Ourahmane, Peng! Collective, Roman Signer, Anna Witt, Tobias Zielony, ZONA D (Eliza Goldox & Sandy Becker, together with: Tita Salina & Irwan Ahmett, Franziska Gerth, Rodrigo Andreolli & Gian Spina, Trakal, Samuel Georgy, Areej Huniti, Anna Zett, Ki Hyun Park, Noor Abed, Felipe Steinberg, Beatrice Schuett Moumdjian, Jafar Al Jabi, Julia Kiehlmann, Yvonne Buchheim, Omnia Sabry)
The exhibition is curated by Florian Matzner and Sarah Sigmund, and organized by the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz. It is an important contribution to the application for the title of European Capital of Culture 2025.
The opening will take place in the Stadthallenpark on Saturday, August 15, 2020, 3pm.
