In Rauschen: Echoes of an Institution, the ifa – Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen explores the work and legacy of the Centre for Art Exhibitions of the GDR (Zentrum für Kunstausstellungen der DDR, or ZfK) in unprecedented depth. Founded in 1973, the ZfK operated under the authority of the German Democratic Republic’s Ministry of Culture and oversaw the country’s international cultural exchange. The ZfK was highly productive, organising up to 130 exhibitions per year that presented art from the GDR abroad and showcased international art in East Germany. This work was conducted in close collaboration with the GDR’s Association of Visual Artists (VBK) as well as numerous international partner institutions, both in socialist “brother countries” and Western nations.
Structured by Eran Schaerf’s scenography, Rauschen unfolds chronologically, presenting international exhibitions and excerpts from programming at the ZfK’s galleries in Berlin and Dresden from each year of its existence until its dissolution in 1990—a consequence of Germany’s reunification. Beginning in 1973, the ZfK’s exhibitions took place at the Neue Berliner Galerie, initially located at the historic Marstall building and, after 1976, at the Altes Museum, part of Berlin’s Museumsinsel. In 1979 the ZfK opened Galerie am Weidendamm at Friedrichstraße 103 and in 1983 it inaugurated its third exhibition space, Galerie Rähnitzgasse in Dresden’s Neustadt district. These venues remained active until 31 December 1990. The ifa exhibition traces this history up until 1992, concluding with artworks by Gerhard Altenbourg and Hermann Glöckner from the ifa collection. These works represent four international touring exhibitions that the ifa coordinated starting in 1993 to promote artists from the GDR.
The chronology builds on a selection of the ZfK’s reference files, which were preserved at the German Federal Archives. They document the ZfK’s international exhibition work alphabetically, from Algeria to Zimbabwe, and are now translated into a comprehensive timeline. The resulting narrative is open-ended: a polyphonic compilation that illustrates, interrogates and honours the ZfK’s work in all its complexity. The institution emerges as a nexus of art, diplomacy, ideology, personal networks and bureaucratic routines.
The history of the ZfK is composed of many strands: artworks from the former ZfK collection and from the ifa art collection are presented in dialogue with reproductions from ZfK publications and posters, photographs and archival materials, as well as historic voices from radio and television. Alongside the German Federal Archives and the German Broadcasting Archive, the private archives of former ZfK senior staff members Peter Hartmann and Hans-Jörg Schirmbeck were essential resources.
Rauschen (static or noise) refers to that which becomes audible in between and around official messages: background noise, interference and reverberations. Projects such as the participation of East German artists in documenta 6, the GDR’s first presentation at the Venice Biennale, or politically motivated exhibitions on Palestine, apartheid and racism are made visible. The year 1990 features prominently, as exhibitions such as Robert Rauschenberg’s ROCI or Karla Woisnitza’s Tecuna convey the dynamic and interconnected nature of the ZfK’s work. Through its international reach combined with its political ties, the organisation facilitated exchange, provided artists with opportunities to travel abroad and still remained part of a regulated cultural system.
Contemporary artworks by Nadja Abt, Anna Bromley, Katharina Mercedes Marszewski, David Polzin and Suse Weber expand on this historic research from a present-day perspective. Their works consider individual materials, images or narratives and the questions they raise today. These artists understand the historic collections as spaces of resonance where longstanding connections, omissions and projections are renegotiated.
Rauschen is the first of five exhibitions in Berlin.
With works by Nadja Abt, Gerhard Altenbourg, Alfred Beier-Red, Henryk Berg, Anna Bromley, Hermann Glöckner, Gotthard Graubner, HAP Grieshaber, Heidrun Hegewald, Irmgard Horlbeck-Kappler, Katharina Mercedes Marszewski, Karl Erich Müller, Uwe Pfeifer, Sigmar Polke, David Polzin, Nuria Quevedo, Robert Rauschenberg, Hans Theo Richter, Werner Schinko, Emil Stumpp, Günther Uecker, Suse Weber, Karla Woisnitza
Curated by Susanne Weiß in collaboration with Nadja Abt, Swantje Greve, and Petronela Soltesz; Scenography: Eran Schaerf in collaboration with Flo Gaertner.
The exhibition at the ifa Gallery Berlin marks the launch of the ifa exhibition series Making Public – On the Work and Legacy of the Centre for Art Exhibitions of the GDR in Berlin. The project is organised in cooperation with the Wüstenrot Foundation and is supported by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds. In collaboration with Schloss Biesdorf, KVOST – Kunstverein Ost, Prater Galerie and Galerie im Turm, as well as the Kunsthaus Dresden.
Opening: Thursday, 25 June, 19:00
Exhibition: 26 June – 27 September 2026
More information on Making Public at agora.ifa.de
