In 1984, the artists Lutz Dammbeck, Günter Firit, Hans Hendrik Grimmling, Frieder Heinze, Günter Huniat and Olaf Wegewitz occupied a trade fair building in the center of Leipzig to stage one of the first independent and public exhibitions in the GDR – the 1st LEIPZIGER HERBSTSALON. The event was an act of resistance against the GDR's system of state control and a creative form of self-assertion. The artists defied the restrictive guidelines of cultural policy and created an autonomous space for avant-garde, experimental, and politically charged art. The reconquest of public space by artistic means challenged the state's monopoly on power and sparked similar activities in the GDR. The 1st LEIPZIGER HERBSTSALON was more than just an exhibition – it was an artistic manifestation of the idea of freedom in a system that wanted to silence unwelcome voices. The participating artists used painting, installations and performative elements to reflect the repressive nature of GDR society and create a platform for alternative art forms. Lutz Dammbeck documented the exhibition and its political implications on film, which ensured that the event had an impact beyond the actual exhibition. Today, the 1st LEIPZIGER HERBSTSALON is considered a milestone in the history of artistic resistance in the GDR and a harbinger of the independence movements that led to the peaceful revolution at the end of the 1980s. The film about this event not only sheds light on the background of the art project, but also on the courage and determination of the participating artists, who stood up against state repression and for a free, self-determined art.
Icons & Media Art
22min
0
DE
In a revolutionary act of artistic freedom, a group of artists occupied a trade fair building in Leipzig in 1984.
In 1984, the artists Lutz Dammbeck, Günter Firit, Hans Hendrik Grimmling, Frieder Heinze, Günter Huniat and Olaf Wegewitz occupied a trade fair building in the center of Leipzig to stage one of the first independent and public exhibitions in the GDR – the 1st LEIPZIGER HERBSTSALON. The event was an act of resistance against the GDR's system of state control and a creative form of self-assertion. The artists defied the restrictive guidelines of cultural policy and created an autonomous space for avant-garde, experimental, and politically charged art.
The reconquest of public space by artistic means challenged the state's monopoly on power and sparked similar activities in the GDR. The 1st LEIPZIGER HERBSTSALON was more than just an exhibition – it was an artistic manifestation of the idea of freedom in a system that wanted to silence unwelcome voices. The participating artists used painting, installations and performative elements to reflect the repressive nature of GDR society and create a platform for alternative art forms.
Lutz Dammbeck documented the exhibition and its political implications on film, which ensured that the event had an impact beyond the actual exhibition. Today, the 1st LEIPZIGER HERBSTSALON is considered a milestone in the history of artistic resistance in the GDR and a harbinger of the independence movements that led to the peaceful revolution at the end of the 1980s. The film about this event not only sheds light on the background of the art project, but also on the courage and determination of the participating artists, who stood up against state repression and for a free, self-determined art.