Revolutionary Romances?

Working in cooperation with two of its fellow members of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD)—the Kupferstich-Kabinett and the Kunstfonds—Revolutionary Romances? Global Art Histories in the GDR sees the Albertinum examine the “revolutionary romances”—the “friendly-revolutionary” relationships—between the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and countries in the Global South. In doing so, it not only sheds light on a chapter of art in the GDR that has received little research attention to date, but also places it within the context of a global art history. 

From the 1960s onwards, the Cuban Revolution, the decolonization of Africa and the rise of Communist liberation movements seemed to signal that socialism was gaining ground around the globe, with the utopia of an international socialist community mobilizing the Eastern Bloc. In the case of the GDR, a shift in focus towards countries in Latin America, Africa, South-East Asia and the Middle East was not only accompanied by the international recognition the nation had long hoped for yet always been denied in the West, but also represented an opportunity to demonstrate state sovereignty and a cosmopolitan outlook. In addition to influencing East German foreign policy, which pursued political and, above all, economic interests, the ideological leitmotifs of “friendship between nations” and “international solidarity” also shaped foreign cultural policy, establishing themselves as important themes in both state propaganda and fine arts in the GDR.

Drawing on the existing collections at the SKD, and supplemented by selected loans, the exhibition poses questions about the artistic practice, themes and motifs that characterized these “revolutionary romances”—from those that actually existed to those that are simply assumed to have done so. The work on show dates from the 1950s to the 1990s, and was created by artists from the GDR, Cuba, Chile, Vietnam, India, Iraq, Libya, Mozambique and Burma (Myanmar). They include representations of the ideals and icons of socialist internationalism, images of solidarity, creative protest against war and violence in Asia, Africa and Latin America, Cuban revolutionary graphics, travel pictures, mail art and work submitted by foreign students as part of their final exams at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts.

In addition to work taken from the SKD’s own collections, the exhibition also includes contemporary international positions and commissioned pieces from artists including Georges Adéagbo, Sven Johne, Hamlet Lavastida, Dana Lorenz, Sonya Schönberger, Wenke Seemann, Sung Tieu and Arlette Quỳnh-Anh Trần, which observe and critically reflect on the erstwhile ideals and contradictions of “solidarity” and “understanding among nations” from a present-day perspective.

Revolutionary Romances scrutinizes works of art created and presented in the GDR, analyses their Eurocentric perspective and examines forms of cultural appropriation as well as the stereotypical depiction of the people and cultures of the Global South.

Another aspect to be considered—one that is obvious in retrospect—is the contrast between ideology and reality in the GDR, between displaying contempt for western Imperialism and turning a blind eye to the imperial expansion of the East, between foreign policy statements calling for universal human rights and repressive domestic policies and between the anti-racism stance proclaimed by the state and the actual living and working conditions experienced by foreign contract workers and students.

Revolutionary Romances sees the Albertinum make an initial attempt—one that is questioning, explorative and self-critical in nature—to tackle a topical issue that has only just begun to be examined by the SKD. Further research from an art theory, historical and artistic perspective is required, and needs to ensure that the points of view and expertise of people from the Global South in particular are heard and seen, thus facilitating discussion of the art history of the GDR in a global context.

At the end of the year, a publication combining selected exhibits with academic essays written within the context of the multi-year research and exhibition project will be published by Spector Books.