Claiming Space – East Germany’s Independent Art Exhibit Scene

As of the late 1970s, young East German artists, especially in the larger cities, created spaces for cultural experimentation that were separate from official art channels. Through their art, they rebelled against both the existing art market, and the country’s political climate. 

Leipzig, for example, became an important center of this subculture created by painters, photographers, musicians and poets. From 1985 to 1989, the EIGEN+ART gallery in Leipzig-Connewitz provided a venue for these artists to present themselves to the public. 

This documentary reconstructs the history of EIGEN+ART, exploring the roots of independent activities and exhibitions, including: the First Leipzig Autumn Salon (1984), East Berlin’s EP Galerie (the GDR’s first private gallery, opened in 1974) and the gallery of the Chemnitz artists’ group, Clara Mosch (1977-82). Clips from original film footage are juxtaposed with interviews with artists in the independent art scene, many of whom are now internationally known, including Lutz Dammbeck, Michael Morgner, Fine Kwiatkowski, Thomas Ranft and Else Gabriel.