Political artworks at 'Diversity United' exhibition
On show at the former Tempelhof airport, "Diversity United" features some 400 works addressing themes such as freedom and dignity, dialogue and conflict.
Sejla Kameric: 'Liberty'
The ideal of Enlightenment is spelled out in bright white neon letters. They stand out against a bare wall and stone floor, reminiscent of the inner courtyard of a prison. The association feels strengthened by the spikes that are typically used as a bird deterrent on building ledges and commercial signage. Is it liberty's way of protecting itself or is the message turned into an empty phrase?
Ekaterina Muromtseva: 'Picket'
Ekaterina Muromtseva is a Russian artist who lives and works in Moscow. Her posters are a testimony to the political unrest in her home country. Her larger-than-life, blood-red figures lead viewers to ask themselves whether they should remain distant observers of the protests or rather join in on them.
Mona Hatoum: 'Remains to Be Seen'
The Lebanon-born artist Mona Hatoum often works with allegories. In this work, the remains of a building "hang by a thread," with the symmetrical arrangement of the ropes contrasting with the fragmented stones. The collapse is in constant suspension, while the remains can still be seen.
Anselm Kiefer: 'Winterreise'
From a distance, it looks like a large-scale painting, but "Winterreise" (Winter Journey) is actually a stage installation. In this grim and warlike landscape, Anselm Kiefer refers to representatives of German Romanticism such as Madame de Staël or Robert Schubert on snow-covered signs, while the name of the Red Army Faction terrorist Ulrike Meinhof appears on a bed on wheels.
Olga Chernysheva: 'On the Sidelines'
In the former Soviet Union, workers were sometimes paid in kind. These chandeliers were given to the employees of a factory where they were made, as a form of payment. But they ended up on the side of the road. Chernysheva's seemingly surrealistic works document the poetry of everyday life, while commenting on society.
Patricia Kaersenhout: 'Mea Culpa'
In her work, Dutch artist Patricia Kaersenhout focuses on questions of power and guilt. In "Me Culpa" she depicts people in business suits on their hands and knees, crawling in penance as defined by a Christian tradition through which pilgrims demonstrated their devotion to God through physical suffering.
Monica Bonvicini: 'Light Me Black'
The polarization of society can be observed around the world; too often, opinions on current issues seem to be divided into black and white categories. With this in mind, the Berlin-based artist Monica Bonvicini brings opposites together. The white neon tubes are dazzling, but can also be understood as a symbol of the Enlightenment. "Light Me Black" is a call to explore paradoxes and gray areas.
Lucy + Jorge Orta: 'Antarctic Village No borders'
For artist duo Lucy + Jorge Orta, the polar continent around the South Pole embodies utopian ideals: Despite different political systems, the signatory states of the Antarctic Treaty have committed to peaceful coexistence, to collaboration on scientific projects and to the preservation of Antarctica's natural resources. The tents with different flags stand for a peaceful world without borders.