About the Exhibition
An exhibition by the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum in cooperation with the European Solidarity Centre, Gdańsk, the National Gallery Prague and the National Museum, Wroclaw
Patronage
The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media
Funded by
The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media
Karin and Uwe Hollweg Foundation
Curatorial Team
Dr Viktoria Krason, Philipp Bürger, Kathrin Haase, Laura Schmidt, Bettina Beer
Exhibition Design
Kooperative für Darstellungspolitik, Berlin
Distaff Studio, Berlin
FREEDOM IN TODAY’S WORLD – AN EMBATTLED IDEA
While people in authoritarian states are fighting for basic freedoms, democracies are debating what freedom even means: was it justified to restrict individual freedoms during the pandemic? Can climate policies dictate which heating systems or cars a person uses? Is a free society compatible with closed borders? Does self-interest take precedence over the common good – or is it the other way around?
In these debates, the term “freedom” is often invoked for opposing agendas. Even the seemingly unambiguous demands made by historical freedom movements, as well as the symbols they used, are now being appropriated by right-wing populist groups radically opposed to a free, liberal society.
To gain a better understanding of this convoluted conflict, the exhibition first looks to the past. Beginning with the quest for liberation in the major revolutions since the 18th century, the exhibition tells freedom’s unfinished story. Central to this narrative are the dissident movements in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany before and after 1989. How were they similar? How did they differ? And how do their ideals of freedom continue to resonate with us today?
Symbols of Freedom
Lady Liberty, the Statue of Liberty in New York, is probably one of the most famous symbols of freedom – but it is by no means the only one! Art history is full of motifs where freedom conquers tyranny or brings hope. The exhibition uses these images, which are still so influential today, to show how artists have given shape to the ideals of freedom.
In her video work, the artist gives Eugène Delacroix's painting “Liberty Leading the People” (1830) a provocative twist: instead of following liberty, the male figures turn against it.
Crafting a Liberation
No freedom without solidarity – what remains of this rallying cry of the Eastern and Central European liberation movements? Even today, there are ongoing debates on how to balance the right to self-fulfilment, respect for the freedom of others and the goals of society as a whole. Can looking back at the years before and after 1989 be a source of inspiration for a more cohesive society, both today and in the future? Video interviews from the three countries, together with contemporary artworks and media installations, offer the audience the opportunity to engage intensively with these questions.
FREEDOM AND SOLIDARITY
No freedom without solidarity – what remains of this rallying cry of the Eastern and Central European liberation movements? Even today, there are ongoing debates on how to balance the right to self-fulfilment, respect for the freedom of others and the goals of society as a whole. Can looking back at the years before and after 1989 be a source of inspiration for a more cohesive society, both today and in the future? Video interviews from the three countries, together with contemporary artworks and media installations, offer the audience the opportunity to engage intensively with these questions.zusetzen.
INTERACTIVE STATIONS
At several places in the exhibition, visitors are invited to actively let their thoughts run free. This can be taken literally, for example, at the “marble run”, where your ideas about freedom can roll in a ball and be inspired by the thoughts of other visitors. A “freedom barometer” allows you to measure how free you feel – also in comparison to others. And if you’re feeling brave and have some acting talent, you can recite historical speeches yourself in a “freedom karaoke”.
The exhibition was created in cooperation with the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk, the National Gallery in Prague and the National Museum in Wroclaw. We would like to thank all our co-operation partners for their extraordinary commitment and expertise. The exhibition would not have been possible without the generous loan of numerous outstanding works of art from the collections of the National Museum in Wroclaw and the National Gallery in Prague as well as numerous historical artefacts from the ECS.
Funded by
