Escape and Escapism – Art and the GDR

Exploring the artistic legacies of the GDR through conversation, creativity and cross-disciplinary insight.

A free one-day symposium organised to coincide with the exhibition Escape from Colditz by Leipzig-based artist Annette Schröter at the Robert Cripps Gallery, Magdalene College, University of Cambridge.

An international array of speakers will discuss creative legacies in Visual Arts, Architecture, Photography, Film, Dance and Literature from the GDR.

Programme

10.00 am: Introduction and Welcome
Silke Mentchen, University of Cambridge and co-curator of Escape from Colditz

10.15 am: Two Who Escaped: Georg Baselitz and A R Penck
Richard Calvocoressi, Magdalene College, University of Cambridge.

10.45 am: The DDR in the Humboldt Forum: Wolfgang Mattheuer’s painting Guten Tag
Neil MacGregor, Former Director, British Museum (London) and Humboldt Forum (Berlin)

11.15 am: Break for lunch (own arrangements) and visit to the exhibition

1.30 pm – Christa Wolf’s Juninachmittag
Georgina Paul, University of Oxford

2.00 pm: Escape to Rabbit land – Escape and Inner Emigration in GDR and (post) GDR Photography
Matthew Shaul, Queen Mary University of London and co-curator Escape from Colditz

2.30 pm: Break

3.00 pm: Cybernetics and Simulacra: Remediating Halle-Neustadt Public Art
Stefan Ehrig, University of Glasgow

3.30 pm: Was Bleibt? The Politics of East German Dance
Marion Kant, University of Cambridge

4.00–5.00 pm: Final Discussion

Please note that this is a public symposium offered free of charge; therefore, participants are asked to make their own lunch and refreshment arrangements.

Registration

The event is free and open to all. Registration is essential; please register via the link below.
 

Escape and Escapism Registration
 

Location

Cripps Auditorium, Cripps Court, 3 Chesterton Road, Cambridge CB4 3AD

Escape and Escapism is supported by the Schroeder fund for German Studies, University of Cambridge.

Escape from Colditz is generously supported by Christine and Phillip Carne.

Header image: Sommer im Kleingarten (Summer in the Allotment), Annette Schröter, 2024.