The Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge is a collaborating partner in the “Queer Art in the GDR? Biographies between Underground and Propaganda” project which sheds light on artists’ positions in East Germany and encourages a new reading of art from the GDR. The exhibition and extensive accompanying events programme are a KVOST – Kunstverein Ost e.V. initiative and are taking place in cooperation with neue Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst (nGbk), Mitte Museum, and Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge. The exhibition draws on the checkered life stories of nine artists and their works, ranging from painting, sculpture, and ceramics to photography. On that basis it shows how differently the nine addressed the political and social conditions of their day. To what extent did sexual orientation influence their artistic practice and their careers?
Despite its gradual decriminalization, homosexuality in the GDR remained subject to strong social and political stigmatization. After the Fall of the Wall, the situation facing queer artists did not improve significantly. On the contrary: Many artists from East Germany ran the risk of being completely forgotten. Today, general interest in the art and culture of East Germany and in queer lived realities is growing. However, to date combining these two perspectives, namely queer life stories and forms of artistic expression under a Communist dictatorship, has gone largely unresearched.
Although the term “queer” in today’s meaning did not exist in the GDR, it is consciously used in the exhibition: as a collective term for people who as lesbians, gays, and bisexuals desire and love the same sex, as well as for those who as transgender and non-binary persons live outside conventional notions of gender.
With works by Toni Ebel, Andreas Fux, Harry Hachmeister, Jochen Hass, Dorothea von Philipsborn, Erika Stürmer-Alex, Rita „Tommy“ Thomas, Jürgen Wittdorf, Egon Wrobel*.
DISTANZ Verlag is publishing a catalogue to coincide with the exhibition.
* The Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge is presenting works by Egon Wrobel as part of this collaboration.
Curation
Stephan Koal
Exhibition venues
KVOST / Leipziger Straße 47, 10117 Berlin / kvost.de
nGbK / Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 11/13, 10178 Berlin / ngbk.de
Mitte Museum / Pankstraße 47, 13357 Berlin / mittemuseum.de
Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge / Leipziger Straße 54, 10117 Berlin / museumderdinge.de
Other cooperation partners
Feministisches Archiv FFBIZ, Leibniz-Zentrum für Literatur- und Kulturforschung, Museum Lichtenberg, Schwules Museum, Sonntagsclub, Leipzig University, and other private collections, contemporary witnesses, and experts.
Openings
March 25, 2026
Soft opening, Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge (5–7 p.m.)
Soft opening with presentation of the catalogue, KVOST (6–9 p.m.)
March 26, 2026
Soft opening, Mitte Museum (6–9 p.m.)
March 27, 2026
Official opening of the project, nGbK (6–9 p.m.)
