June 16, 2024
12 pm

In the “New Insights” tours, artists guide visitors to their works in the exhibition Soft Power, providing insights into their creative processes and discussing the thematic links between art and society with experts. The discussion tours will be moderated by exhibition curator Daniel Milnes.

Textile circles were state-subsidized as part of the so-called “people’s artistic work” (künstlerisches Volksschaffen) in the GDR and offered interested individuals the opportunity to develop creatively alongside their occupation. The Potsdam circle produced a variety of works in different formats, from wall hangings and appliqués to printed fabrics, jewelry and entire fashion collections.

Jutta Lademann, a former member of the Potsdam textile circle, speaks as a contemporary witness and chronicler of the group’s activities, discussing her working methods and the works created in the circle. Together with cultural historian Sarah Wassermann (Textilzirkel in der DDR, 2021), they will shed light on the cultural-political background and reflect on the social significance of these circles within the GDR and their transformation after reunification.

Note: Due to illness, Rosemarie Höschler, who was also a member of the Potsdam textile circle, took part instead of Jutta Lademann.