Lena von Goedeke: GROUND TRUTH

Lena von Goedeke, an acclaimed international artist known for her conceptual work, presents her solo exhibition GROUND TRUTH at the University Gallery of TUD Dresden University of Technology. The exhibition, running from September 30, 2024, to January 24, 2025, is a highlight of her residency at Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden. The artist, who divides her time between Berlin and Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, delves into the Arctic’s transformation during her residency from May to October 2024.

Throughout her residency, Lena von Goedeke collaborated with experts from fields including humanities, geology, geodesy, and geoinformatics. She also worked with teaching and research collections from the university and the Geological and Palaeobotany Sections at the Senckenberg Natural History Collections in Dresden. GROUND TRUTH features around 15 artworks—photographs, sculptures, and videos—created over the past four years, reflecting her research on the Arctic’s evolving landscape.

The title of the exhibition GROUND TRUTH carries dual significance. Traditionally, it means an immutable truth. In remote sensing, it refers to the process of validating remote data with on-ground observations, crucial in climate research. Von Goedeke’s exhibition examines the fragility of material data storage—like rocks, fossils, and permafrost—highlighting the contrast between the Arctic’s digital representation and its physical reality. This contrast is particularly evident in her recent work Trümmer (Debris).

Trümmer features artistic soil samples resembling branches with intricate textures. Made from permafrost, these samples transition into mud over time, demonstrating the Arctic’s instability. This process is illustrated through a refrigerator setup that alternates between freezing and melting the ground material, underscoring the delicate state of Arctic aggregates. Von Goedeke’s installations, sculptures, and films offer a tangible and poetic exploration of the Arctic’s materiality and visual impact.

Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden, which began its second funding phase in April 2024, focuses on integrating art, science, and society. Von Goedeke is the first artist in residence for this period, following a successful initial phase featuring artists like Christian Kosmas Mayer and Rosa Barba. The Lab promotes dialogue and exploration of emerging technologies and their societal implications under the theme “Data–Worlds.”

Schaufler Residency@TU Dresden provides international artists with the opportunity to engage with the university’s research community and further their artistic endeavors. Managed by the Office für Academic Heritage, Scientific and Art Collections (Kustodie) at TUD Dresden University of Technology, the residency supports the intersection of artistic and academic pursuits.

Speakers Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden: Kirsten Vincenz, Orit Halpern, Moritz Ingwersen / Curatorial Team Schaufler Residency@TU Dresden: Gwendolin Kremer, Pauline Hohn, Andreas Kempe / Coordinator Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden: Anke Woschech.

Additional links: Lena von Goedeke / Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden / The Schaufler Foundation / Office for Academic Heritage, Scientific and Art Collections (Kustodie).

Press contact: Carolin Kost, e-mail: schaufler.lab[​at​]tu-dresden.de.