Rezensionen | Wartist

Simon Menner: Images from the STASI Secret Archives (Berlin)

As recently announced at Wartist, from 17 January until 3 March 2011, Simon Menner presents “Images from the Secret STASI Archives”¹ as part of the exhibition series “Rendezvous mit Kunst” (meeting with art) at Berlin’s restaurant Diekmann. The exhibition of 26 authentic photographs is part of a bigger cycle that the artist selected from images he was being provided by the “Bundesbeauftragten für die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen Deutschen Demokratischen Republik” (BStU)².

Stasi is the short form of “(Ministerium für) Staatssicherheit” ((Ministry for) State Security), the East-German state security service. ↩
Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Archives ↩

“Historical Picture” at Kunstraum t27 (Berlin)

From 11 December 2010 to 9 January 2011 (and as already announced here), the Berlin-based gallery Kunstraum t27 celebrates its third birthday with the group exhibition “Historienbild” within a six-part exhibition series about the various genres of (not just) painting. All the 30 works by Chris Dreier, Andreas Seltzer, Henning Kappenberg, Barbara Duisberg and Thilo Droste differently address history and remembering the past, but not the least war.

Damon Winter: War Photography with an iPhone (NY Times)

Thanks to the twitter stream of the German security-political journalist Thomas Wiegold¹, we took notice of the impressive photo spread of Damon Winter, published in the excellent “Lens” blog of the New York Times. The 19 published pictures have their own, direct aesthetics – the photographer took them with his iPhone while accompanying parts of the 10th US Mountain Division in northern Afghanistan.

Continue reading “Damon Winter: War Photography with an iPhone (NY Times)”

His blog “Augen geradeaus!” (German for the advice “look ahead” as well as the military command “Eyes front!”) is recommended for everybody interested in securty political issues, with a strong emphasis on the debates in Germany. Nevertheless, internationally relevant articles are available in Englisch, too. ↩

Borrowed Plumes: Demokratie-Spiegel writes about Jürgen Graetz’s “Erinnerungen”

The online magazine “Demokratie-Spiegel” published a short review about the photo exhibition “Jürgen Graetz: Erinnerungen” that is curated by Martin Bayer. They already had been so kind to previously point to the exhibition’s opening on 29 October 2010.

Jürgen Graetz: Erinnerungen (Memories)

As already announced here, on 29 October 2010, the exhibition “Erinnerungen” (memories) with photographs of Jürgen Graetz was successfully opened in the premises of the Berlin-based political consultancy republik movida GmbH. The welcome address was given by Lars Lindemann MdB (FDP) in the presence of the artist.

Lars Lindemann MdB, curator Martin Bayer, photographer Jürgen Graetz

Dieter Keller (1909-1985) – Photos from the Eastern Front

After a short reminder to the opening of the exhibition “Dieter Keller (1909-1985): Photos von der Ostfront” (Photos from the Eastern Front) in the Berlin-based Gallery Berinson, we finally had the opportunity to see all the works. Traces of the Second World War are shown from the view of an artistically thoroughly able pacifist: the people portrayed – may they be alive or dear – all remain their dignity. After having seen countless photos from World War II, we do not know many others of similiar artistic quality.

Dieter Keller: Brennendes Haus, 1941 (courtesy of Galerie Berinson, Berlin)

An Art Shirt, Made in North Korea

Another news from Korea, after yesterday’s Apology of the Japanese Prime Minister regarding the colonial rule between 1910 and 1945: German artist Dirk Fleischmann used his visiting professorship at Hansung University in South Korea’s capital Seoul, to design shirts and blouses that were produced in North Korea.

Peter Sauerer

A friend called our attention to the works of Peter Sauerer: his wooden sculptures are often in a small scale and address history, celebrities and our memory and imagination. For this, he is often making use of irony if not mockery without trivialising his subjects. The spatially small works condense the issues and commit the viewer to take a thorough look at them.

Borrowed Plumes: Kunduz, 4 September 2009

Einzelplan 14¹, a well-written German-language blog on defence and security matters, published today about the opening of the exhibition “Kunduz, 4 September 2009” at Kunstraum Potsdam. Unfortunately, we could not attend by ourselves, but the “deputyship” through this article could not have been better.

Kunduz 4 September 2009 © Marcel Mettelsiefen

The name refers to the defence part of the Federal Budget ↩

Hans-Christian Schmid: Storm

Sorry, this entry is only available in German.