Invisible Diaspora

The title of the exhibition, borrowed from a lyrical text by Heiner Müller, points to the core of the artistic debates. We are currently experiencing a shaking of the pillars of democracy, a tipping point of liberal values and an enormous social disagreement about yesterday, today and tomorrow. The exhibited artistic contributions serve as catalysts for critical thinking.

In sculptural, filmic and performative contributions, the uncertain conditions are reflected materially and ideally: in ruinous architectures, porous structures, melting points and moments of disruption. In the process, the polyphonic perspectives of a young generation become visible, raising questions about democracy, Western and Eastern European identity, the consequences of reunification and social dissonance.

The exhibition takes Shelly Silver's 1994 documentary film ‘Former East/Former West’ as its starting point, in which former West and East Germans are interviewed about their feelings on reunification, democracy and the future. The current context and the political climate in Germany can be reflected anew on the basis of questions about the future at that time. The photographic works and sculptures by Berlin-based artist Eric Meier also draw a line between past narratives and the present by creating new surfaces for reflection from dilapidated architectural elements and melted glass objects.

Christian Andrés Parra Sánchez's work uses an ephemeral sculpture to raise questions about the culture of welcome in this country and addresses what it means to have access to social systems. The film essay by Thai Tai Pham shows an intimate picture of his mother, who came to the GDR as a Vietnamese contract worker and was once again exposed to a vague outlook for the future during the coronavirus pandemic. Rio Usui's contribution is dedicated to the film character Godzilla, from which she derives a personal creature that functions as a metaphor for coping with crises and the approaching new beginning.

The exhibition is part of the supporting programme of the Kunstfest Weimar 2024. An extensive accompanying programme will be available on the gallery's website at www.uni-weimar.de/unigalerie.

Participating artists:

Zuzanna Czebatul, Antonia Mang, Eric Meier, Christian Andrés Parra Sánchez, Thái Tài Phạm, Till Röttjer/Markus Weisbeck, Rebecca Rothenborg, Shelly Silver, Rio Usui, Karla Zipfel

curation: Nova Space Bauhaus University Weimar (GER), Sophia Scherer with Helena Boldt, Annika Schallenberg, Benedict Thiele, Rio Usui