Sezessionistinnen aus Dresden

Sezessionistinnen aus Dresden

Ein Anfang voller Hoffnung (A beginning full of hope)

01/12/24—16/02/25

 

Kerstin Franke-Gneuß, Angela Hampel, Christiane Just, Gerda Lepke, Thea Richter, Gudrun Trendafilov

 

1989 was an uncertain time full of euphoric optimism. During this exciting phase, female artists gathered in Dresden to mount a daring resistance. They defiantly demanded equal rights for women in art and social life. Feminism was hardly known in the GDR. Now it was pure female power!

 

In December 1989, 23 female artists and art historians founded the “Dresden Secession 89”. The founders consciously followed the artistic tradition of the Dresden Secession in their name. The Latin “secessio” means separation. This refers to the turning away of a group of artists from an art movement that is no longer considered contemporary.

 

The Dresden Secessionists set themselves the goal of strengthening the individual artistic development paths of their female artists so that they could develop their female, creative potential. From then on, exhibitions by female artists were curated in their own gallery spaces, concerts, readings and auctions took place, graphic portfolios were published and, of course, lavish art festivals were celebrated. The first exhibition in the Secession’s own gallery was entitled: Ein Anfang voller Hoffnung (A beginning full of hope). This line is also found in our exhibition title. This work has been continued in Galerie Drei for 35 years now. Younger generations have long since taken over.

 

The group exhibition focuses on six artistic signatures of female artists from the “Dresden Secession 89” and follows their aesthetic development from the secessionist beginnings to the present day. The first works are therefore from 1986/87. The artists were then in their 30s to 50s, and they painted courageously against an established canon and the marginalization of female positions. In doing so, they boldly added their own chapter of art history to the art city of Dresden. Although some of them have long since left the „Dresden Secession 89“ and have since pursued solo careers, it is interesting to follow their artistic creativity up to the present day.