Kunstverein Ost

QUEERE KUNST IN DER DDR? Biografien zwischen Underground und Propaganda / QUEER ART IN THE GDR?  Biographies between Underground and Propaganda  :  WED : 20 MAY 2026 : 7 PM  :  An evening with Caspar Gutsche and Maria Bühner  :  Caspar Gutsche, author of the early lesbian protocols (1991) and companion of Erika Stürmer-Alex, reads from her debut novel ‘Ich tanze nun mal nicht gerne Standard’ (I just don’t like dancing standard) about her childhood and time at the Lietzen artists’ colony, which Stürmer-Alex created in 1982 as a free space in Brandenburg. The reading offers personal and literary insights into life as a lesbian woman in the GDR and dealing with social role models and ideological expectations. Maria Bühner will accompany the evening as a discussion partner. Maria Bühner researches lesbian life in the GDR and is committed to raising awareness of queer East German history.  :  Admission: free  Language: German  :  /en/programm/termine/queere-kunst-in-der-ddr-ein-abend-mit-caspar-gutsche-und-maria-buehner  :  @caspar_schreibt #mariabühner  @querverlag @step.koal @kvost @ngbk_berlin @mittemuseum.berlin @museumderdinge :  The project is being made possible with funding from the Capital City Cultural Fund. With thanks to the Berlin Commissioner for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship for the funding of the catalogue.  :  Special thanks to Stiftung Kunstforum Berliner Volksbank @stiftungkunstforumbvb :  further cooperation partners:  @ffbiz_das_feministische_archiv @museumlichtenberg @schwulesmuseum @sonntags.club @unileipzig

Guided Tours this Weekend : 16 & 17 MAY 26 : QUEER ART IN THE GDR? Biographies between Underground and Propaganda /  QUEERE KUNST IN DER DDR? Biografien zwischen Underground und Propaganda  : 16 MAY 26 : Guided Tour at nGbK with the KVOST Team  : 17 MAY 26 : Connecting tours between all Exhibition Venues with the KVOST Team It starts at KVOST at 2:30 pm, conducted in German.  Route: KVOST → Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge → nGbK → Mitte Museum. The tour is carried out using Berlin public transport (BVG). A BVG ticket is required.    : The project is being made possible with funding from the Capital City Cultural Fund. With thanks to the Berlin Commissioner for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship for the funding of the catalogue. :  Special thanks  to Stiftung Kunstforum Berliner Volksbank @stiftungkunstforumbvb : further cooperation partners:  @ffbiz_das_feministische_archiv @museumlichtenberg @schwulesmuseum @sonntags.club @unileipzig :  @step.koal @ngbk_berlin @mittemuseum.berlin @museumderdinge

SPOTLIGHT : DOROTHEA VON PHILIPSBORN : Works by Dorothea von Philipsborn are on display as part of the exhibition “QUEER ART IN THE GDR? Biographies between Underground and Propaganda / QUEERE KUNST IN DER DDR? Biografien zwischen Underground und Propaganda” until 28 June 2026. : Dorothea von Philipsborn (1894–1971) was a sculptor who came from a Silesian noble family. She took over her family’s estate at an early age, where she led a lively social life with artist, musician and writer friends. After fleeing Silesia, she lived and worked from 1946 onward in a women’s community in Upper Lusatia. She was a member of the Association of Visual Artists (VBK) and achieved success in the GDR through her busts as well as human and animal sculptures in public spaces. : Curated by Stephan Koal : Image 1: Ein junges Mädchen unserer Zeit (Die Kesse), 1964, installation view, Weißwasser, 2026, photo: Valentin Wedde, courtesy: Kvost ; Image 2: Ein junges Mädchen unserer Zeit (Die Kesse), 1959 ; Image 3: Stehendes Mädchen mit Perlenkette, 1922-40s ; Image 4: Die Anprobe, around 1960 ; Image 5: Installation view nGbK, Photo: Valentin Wedde @valentinwedde , courtesy: nGbK and KVOST, Berlin ; Image 6: Installation view nGbK, Photo: Valentin Wedde @valentinwedde , courtesy: nGbK and KVOST, Berlin : #dorotheavonphilipsborn glasmuseum_wsw @kunstgewerbemuseum.sk @skd.museum @blmk.kunstmuseum @stadtmuseumcottbus @schlesischesmuseum @step.koal @kvost @ngbk_berlin @mittemuseum.berlin @museumderdinge @distanzverlag @achharry @andreasfux_original @egonwrobel Jochen Hass Dorothea von Philipsborn Erika Stürmer-Alex Rita „Tommy“ Thomas Jürgen Wittdorf : further cooperation partners: @ffbiz_das_feministische_archiv @museumlichtenberg @schwulesmuseum @sonntags.club @unileipzig Leibniz-Zentrum für Literatur- und Kulturforschung : The project is being made possible with funding from the Capital City Cultural Fund. With thanks to the Berlin Commissioner for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship for the funding of the catalogue. : Special thanks to Stiftung Kunstforum Berliner Volksbank @stiftungkunstforumbvb

Jahresanfang (1982) by ERIKA STÜRMER-ALEX in the exhibition “QUEER ART IN THE GDR? Biographies between Underground and Propaganda / QUEERE KUNST IN DER DDR? Biografien zwischen Underground und Propaganda” at KVOST. The work is shown on the left of the image and is displayed alongside pieces by EGON WROBEL. : We sincerely thank the Sammlung Hasso Plattner, DAS MINSK, for the generous loan of Jahresanfang (1982) by Erika Stürmer-Alex. : Erika Stürmer-Alex is a German artist known for her experimental and interdisciplinary practice, spanning painting, textile works, performance, and conceptual art. Working in the GDR from the 1970s onward, she developed an independent visual language that often challenged social norms and artistic conventions. Today, her practice is recognized as an important contribution to the history of East German avant-garde and feminist art. : ERIKA STÜRMER-ALEX Jahresanfang, 1982, latex on fabric, courtesy: Sammlung Hasso Plattner, DAS MINSK, Potsdam : EGON WROBEL Aufgebrochener Kelch, 1980s, glazed clay, courtesy: Egon Wrobel : EGON WROBEL, untitled, undated, ink on paper, courtesy: Egon Wrobel : #ErikaStürmerAlex @hassoplattnerfoundation @dasminsk #DASMINSK @annafeniaschneider @dinla @egonwrobel @step.koal @kvost @mittemuseum.berlin @ngbk_berlin @museumderdinge @distanzverlag @step.koal @achharry @andreasfux_original Toni Ebel Jochen Hass Dorothea von Philipsborn Rita „Tommy“ Thomas Jürgen Wittdorf : Photo: Valentin Wedde @valentinwedde courtesy: Sammlung Hasso Plattner, DAS MINSK and KVOST, Berlin : further cooperation partners: @ffbiz_das_feministische_archiv @museumlichtenberg @schwulesmuseum @sonntags.club @unileipzig Leibniz-Zentrum für Literatur- und Kulturforschung : The project is being made possible with funding from the Capital City Cultural Fund. With thanks to the Berlin Commissioner for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship for the funding of the catalogue. : Special thanks to Stiftung Kunstforum Berliner Volksbank @stiftungkunstforumbvb

CLAUS MICHALETZ PREIS & KVOST STIPENDIUM 2026 : IZABELLA GUSTOWSKA : KVOST is pleased to announce the Polish artist Izabella Gustowska (b. 1948) as this year’s recipient of the KVOST Stipendium and the Claus Michaletz Preis 2026, endowed with €10,000. The artist was selected from 124 applications. : Izabella Gustowska lives and works in her hometown of Poznań. Since the 1970s, she has played a central role in conceptually oriented Polish art concerned with representations of the body and a feminist critique of representation. : She is Professor at the Magdalena Abakanowicz University of the Arts in Poznań, where she heads the Experimental Film Studio. She has participated in numerous international exhibitions in Poland and abroad, including the São Paulo Biennale (1983, 1987) and the Venice Biennale (1988). Her works are held in renowned museums and collections in Poland and internationally, including the National Museum Wrocław, the Museum of Modern Art, and the private collection of Grażyna Kulczyk at the Susch Museum. : At the center of her artistic practice lie questions of identity situated between memory and fiction, as well as affinities with the work of other female artists. Biographical experiences are reflected against the backdrop of socio-political and feminist discourses. Her work is characterized by the use of text, photography, and film in connection with the “looping” technique she developed, which employs repetition and moments of return as a central compositional principle. : This year’s jury consisted of the artists Zuzanna Czebatul, Elmgreen & Dragset, and Boris Mikhailov, the curators Monika Branicka and Rainald Schumacher, Dr. Silke Manske and Corinna Reuter from the Secco Pontanova Stiftung, as well as the curator and director of the art association Stephan Koal. : @izabellagustowska #clausmichaletzpreis @kvost @step.koal @uap_international @zzzzccczzzz @elmgreenanddragsetstudio @boris.vita.mikhailov #monikabranicka @officeforart @secco_pontanova_stiftung #leipzigerstrasseopenings #polishartist

Sehr zu empfehlen und noch bis zum 28. Juni geöffnet: die Ausstellung „Queere Kunst in der DDR?“ mit vielen sehenswerten Arbeiten von 9 Künstler*innen, kuratiert von Stephan Koal, an vier Orten: Mitte Museum Berlin, nGbK Berlin, KVOST - Kunstverein Ost und Museum der Dinge. Geht unbedingt mal vorbei! 😄🎈 #BildendeKunst #DDR #queer

KVOST was delighted to be part of the opening at G2 Schaulager of HARRY HACHMEISTER´S new exhibition, “JETZT WEISS ICH WO DAS TAXI IST UND WERDE NICHT MEHR DANACH SUCHEN”. Congratulations on this wonderful show, Harry! : The exhibition runs until the 23rd of August. : @achharry @g2kunsthalle : @steffen.hildebrand @leo_wedepohl @step.koal @aspngallery @fiebach.minninger @ebensperger_ #g2kunsthalle #g2kunsthalleleipzig #g2schaulager #sammlunghildebrand #leipzigart

Gestern in der @ngbk_berlin : Pieke Biermann und @klausledererberlin im Gespräch über #Queerpolitik. Im Rahmen der Ausstellung „Queere Kunst in der DDR?“, organisiert vom @kvost . Schön war es, wir danken für die Einladung.

Widerstandskraft und Verletzlichkeit — Queere Kunst in der DDR Wie arbeiteten queere Künstler*innen in der DDR unter Zensur, staatlicher Kontrolle und gesellschaftlicher Stigmatisierung? Das Projekt »Queere Kunst in der DDR?« zeigt ein bislang kaum erforschtes Kapitel der Kunstgeschichte. Im Zentrum stehen künstlerische Positionen zwischen sozialistischer Kulturpolitik, Überwachung durch die Staatssicherheit und individuellen Lebensrealitäten. Trotz rechtlicher Liberalisierung blieb Diskriminierung bestehen, während sich zugleich auch informelle und private Kunsträume herausbildeten. Das übergreifende Ausstellungsprojekt entsteht in Kooperation von Kvost, nGbK, Mitte Museum und Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge und versammelt Arbeiten u. a. von Toni Ebel, Andreas Fux, Erika Stürmer-Alex, Dorothea von Philipsborn, Rita »Thommy« Thomas, Egon Wrobel und Jürgen Wittdorf. ✍️ Text: Stephan Koal @step.koal , Kurator und Leiter des KVOST 👉 Den ganzen Artikel jetzt im Museumsjournal 2/26 🖼️ Im Abo für nur 27,60 €/ Jahr oder im Einzelverkauf für 8,50 € auf www.museumsjournal.berlin (Link in Bio). 📅 Queere Kunst in der DDR? Biografien zwischen Underground und Propaganda bis 28. Juni 2026 📍 Kvost @kvost 📍 nGbK ngbk_berlin 📍 Mitte Museum @mittemuseum.berlin 📍 Werkbundarchiv @museumderdinge Bild: Andreas Fux, Ohne Titel, Berlin, 1983 | Cover: »La Muse endormie«, 1910, von Constantin Brâncuși #MuseumsJournal @KulturProjekteBerlin #NeueNationalgalerie

Guided Tour at nGbK with the KVOST Team. : QUEER ART IN THE GDR? Biographies between Underground and Propaganda / QUEERE KUNST IN DER DDR? Biografien zwischen Underground und Propaganda : The project is being made possible with funding from the Capital City Cultural Fund. With thanks to the Berlin Commissioner for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship for the funding of the catalogue. : Special thanks to Stiftung Kunstforum Berliner Volksbank @stiftungkunstforumbvb : further cooperation partners: @ffbiz_das_feministische_archiv @museumlichtenberg @schwulesmuseum @sonntags.club @unileipzig : @step.koal @ngbk_berlin @mittemuseum.berlin @museumderdinge

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Vielen Dank an die wunderbare Pieke Biermann für unser Gespräch über emanzipatorische Kämpfe in Ost- und West-Berlin und heutzutage und über mein Buch „Queerpolitik im Handgemenge“. Die Veranstaltung fand im Rahmen der Ausstellung „Queere Kunst in der DDR? Biografien zwischen Underground und Propaganda“ statt (@kvost in Kooperation mit @ngbk_berlin @mittemuseum.berlin @museumderdinge , kuratiert von @step.koal ).

SPOTLIGHT : TONI EBEL : Works by Toni Ebel are on display as part of the exhibition “QUEER ART IN THE GDR? Biographies between Underground and Propaganda / QUEERE KUNST IN DER DDR? Biografien zwischen Underground und Propaganda” until 28 June 2026. : Toni Ebel (1881–1961) was a Berlin-based painter. After a varied life marked by travel, marriage to a woman and military service in the First World War, she worked in Käthe Kollwitz’s circle from 1929 onwards. In 1932, with the help of Magnus Hirschfeld, she underwent gender reassignment surgery. After going into exile in Czechoslovakia, she returned to Berlin in 1945. Her works were recognised in the GDR; she was a member of the VBK (Association of Visual Artists). : Curated by Stephan Koal : Image 1: Toni Ebel, Bildnis einer unbekannten Frau, presumably after 1945, courtesy: Mati Sipiora, Image 2: Toni Ebel, Wald bei Templin, 1956, courtesy: private collection / Image 3: Toni Ebel, Selbstbildnis mit Hut, 1950er / 1950s, courtesy: Lili-Elbe-Bibliothek, Image 4: Installation view nGbK, Photo: Valentin Wedde @valentinwedde , courtesy: nGbK and KVOST, Berlin : #ToniEbel @step.koal @matisipiora @lilielbe @kvost @ngbk_berlin @mittemuseum.berlin @museumderdinge @distanzverlag @achharry @andreasfux @egonwrobel Jochen Hass Dorothea von Philipsborn Erika Stürmer-Alex Rita „Tommy“ Thomas Jürgen Wittdorf : further cooperation partners: @ffbiz_das_feministische_archiv @museumlichtenberg @schwulesmuseum @sonntags.club @unileipzig Leibniz-Zentrum für Literatur- und Kulturforschung : The project is being made possible with funding from the Capital City Cultural Fund. With thanks to the Berlin Commissioner for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship for the funding of the catalogue. : Special thanks to Stiftung Kunstforum Berliner Volksbank @stiftungkunstforumbvb : Thanks to the collections: Minsk @dasminsk , Brandenburgische Landesmuseen @blmk.kunstmuseum , Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden @skd.museum , Schlesisches Museum @schlesischesmuseum and Studio Galerie @studio_galerie_berlin