In 1976, Lutz Dammbeck and five Leipzig artists conceived the interdisciplinary exhibition “Tangente I”, which was intended to serve as a platform for experimental art forms in the GDR. The focus was on collaborative works combining various media such as painting, film and installation. However, before the exhibition could be realized, it was banned by the authorities in 1977 – a typical fate for avant-garde art in the GDR that operated outside the state-regulated framework. Dammbeck did not let himself be stopped by this ban and realized the basic idea independently in cinematic form. METAMORPHOSEN 1, created in 1978, combines documentary footage with experimental animation techniques. The film's framing story shows a train journey from Dresden-Neustadt to Pieschen – an everyday movement through urban space, which, in combination with abstract animations, has an almost trancelike effect. Dammbeck used the technique of non-camera animation, in which he painted, scratched and chemically processed the film material directly. The image worlds merge seamlessly into one another, creating a metamorphosis of forms, colors and structures. The film is not only an artistic statement, but also a subtle reflection on social processes. The GDR art scene was characterized by state restrictions, and Dammbeck's work can be read as an expression of inner opposition – an attempt to engage with reality without submitting to it completely. METAMORPHOSEN 1 marks the beginning of Dammbeck's extensive art project, the “Herakles Concept”, which deals with power structures, myths and media manipulation. The film was first shown publicly in 1978 in the Berlin artists' bar “Die Möwe”, but could only be distributed in small, unofficial circles. Decades later, it was rediscovered in the context of various retrospectives, including at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2018, where it was shown in a film program about independent GDR art. This makes METAMORPHOSEN 1 not only a unique ex
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Because the GDR authorities banned the exhibition, Lutz Dammbeck realized the basic idea independently as an experimental film.
In 1976, Lutz Dammbeck and five Leipzig artists conceived the interdisciplinary exhibition “Tangente I”, which was intended to serve as a platform for experimental art forms in the GDR. The focus was on collaborative works combining various media such as painting, film and installation. However, before the exhibition could be realized, it was banned by the authorities in 1977 – a typical fate for avant-garde art in the GDR that operated outside the state-regulated framework.
Dammbeck did not let himself be stopped by this ban and realized the basic idea independently in cinematic form. METAMORPHOSEN 1, created in 1978, combines documentary footage with experimental animation techniques. The film's framing story shows a train journey from Dresden-Neustadt to Pieschen – an everyday movement through urban space, which, in combination with abstract animations, has an almost trancelike effect. Dammbeck used the technique of non-camera animation, in which he painted, scratched and chemically processed the film material directly. The image worlds merge seamlessly into one another, creating a metamorphosis of forms, colors and structures.
The film is not only an artistic statement, but also a subtle reflection on social processes. The GDR art scene was characterized by state restrictions, and Dammbeck's work can be read as an expression of inner opposition – an attempt to engage with reality without submitting to it completely. METAMORPHOSEN 1 marks the beginning of Dammbeck's extensive art project, the “Herakles Concept”, which deals with power structures, myths and media manipulation.
The film was first shown publicly in 1978 in the Berlin artists' bar “Die Möwe”, but could only be distributed in small, unofficial circles. Decades later, it was rediscovered in the context of various retrospectives, including at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2018, where it was shown in a film program about independent GDR art. This makes METAMORPHOSEN 1 not only a unique ex