Duration of the exhibition: 16 November - 20 December, Wednesday-Sunday 14:00-20:00
For a long time, the view of the East was limited to Germany. But the history of transformation after 1989 is European. Not all socialism was the same - and its consequences also differed. It is therefore interesting to see what young people think about it today. It also explores what remains when places, and therefore memories, are in danger of disappearing.
The project "Generations Stories: Overcoming Borders, Shaping Identity(ies)", which is being realised as part of the Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025, arose from intergenerational discussions in Chemnitz, Zwickau and Thalheim, workshops and encounters in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.
The exhibition "Next Gen East x Shift Change", developed by artist Luise von Cossart, brings together these voices and encounters. It shows a search for origins, stories and memories of different generations. Italso shows how young people from Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic experienced the changes after 1989 - and what can still be felt today. Von Cossart found the basis for "Shift Change" in a place that itself tells of change: abandoned halls on the site of the RAW in Halle (Saale). An archive of everyday life in a former GDR factory was created among the files, clothing and protocols left behind.
A space for encounter(s)
The exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to come to terms with their own history. Visitors can write down memories and place them in the "insert title of the sculpture". In this way, a mosaic of memories grows with each visitor and each story. The exhibition is accompanied by a supporting programme: In November, Theresa Katz will read from her book "Vielseitig desinteressiert & trotzdem voller Meinung - Wie viel Wahrheit steckt hinter dem Generationenkonflikt?". There will also be an evening dedicated to intergenerational dialogue: This will bring together people with experience of the GDR and children of the post-reunification period.
