Between Reality, Longing, and Inner Visual Worlds

Annual Exhibition at the Neubrandenburg Art Collection

The exhibition “Rooms of Longing – Surrealism and Magical Realism of Art in the GDR” is dedicated to artistic positions from the GDR. The focus is on painting and graphics that move between inner images, societal experience, and personal feelings.

The works displayed engage with fundamental human and political experiences. Hope and doubt are among the themes, as well as resistance and resignation. Thus, the exhibition provides access to different attitudes and forms of expression within the art of the GDR.

Surrealistic and Magical-Realistic Perspectives

Surrealism and magical realism stand for visual worlds in which the familiar is transformed, expanded, or imbued with a special atmosphere. The exhibition examines how such artistic approaches became visible in the GDR and what spaces of imagination, longing, and reflection emerged as a result.

Painting and graphics are the central media of the presentation. Their motifs and visual languages invite a closer look and exploration of the tension between reality, hope, and inner perception. It is not about a single perspective, but about various artistic reactions to the conditions and experiences of their time.

Art between Hope and Resignation

The exhibition makes it comprehensible how art can express different moods and positions. Resistance can play a role in images just as much as doubt or resignation. At the same time, the works refer to longings and hopes that go beyond the immediately visible.

“Rooms of Longing” is aimed at anyone interested in the art of the GDR, surrealistic visual worlds, and magical-realistic forms of expression. The annual exhibition offers the opportunity to view painting and graphics in the context of these themes and to gain personal impressions.