Made in Germany? Art and Identity in a Global Nation
When:
Friday, Sep 13, 2024 10:00a -
Sunday, Jan 05, 2025 5:00p
Friday, Sep 13, 2024 10:00a -
Sunday, Jan 05, 2025 5:00p
Where:
Harvard Art Museums
32 Quincy Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
Admission:
FREE
Hosted by:
Categories:
Accessible Spots, Art, Good for Groups, University
Event website:
https://bit.ly/3WLw8ec
Discover an array of artworks that transcend borders and spotlight the complexities of modern German identity.
Made in Germany? Art and Identity in a Global Nation takes an unprecedented look at German art since 1980. Featuring artists from different generations and diverse backgrounds, the exhibition complicates notions of German identity, especially the idea of ethnic and cultural homogeneity. In fact, the country is second only to the United States as a destination for immigrants from around the world. The exhibition offers a range of reflections on German national identity, which was shaped by labor migration following World War II, the unification of East and West Germany in 1990, and the influx of asylum seekers to the country since 2015. As the pointedly interrogative title suggests, Made in Germany? asks, rather than offers ready answers to, the question of who or what represents Germany today.
The more than 20 artists represented in the exhibition span several generations, and their works—often made and remade over an extended period—address German history and identity through film, video, photography, painting, printmaking, drawing, collage, and installation. Supplemented by key loans, the exhibition showcases works from the Busch-Reisinger Museum and, in particular, highlights recent acquisitions by artists such as Nevin Aladağ, Marc Brandenburg, Katharina Sieverding, Cornelia Schleime, Ngozi Schommers, Hito Steyerl, Sung Tieu, Corinne Wasmuht, and Ulrich Wüst. Hans Haacke’s poster Wir (alle) sind das Volk (We [all] are the people) will be available for free in the exhibition, and visitors are encouraged to further disseminate the message by displaying it in their schools, workplaces, homes, and neighborhoods.
Uniquely positioned as the only museum in North America devoted to the art of German-speaking Europe from the Middle Ages to the present day, the Busch-Reisinger Museum is one of three museums that comprise the Harvard Art Museums. Established at Harvard in 1903, the holdings continue to grow and expand to reflect the diversity of modern Germany.
