The ifa Gallery Berlin presents the exhibition ‘Rauschen: Echoes of an Institution’, which explores the history and legacy of the Centre for Art Exhibitions of the GDR (ZfK). Drawing on works from the collections of the ZfK and the ifa, as well as contemporary artistic practices, the exhibition sheds light on the institution’s role in shaping cultural exchange during the GDR era. The exhibition runs from 26 June to 27 September 2026.
Image above: Uwe Pfeifer, Straße I, 1979, Farblithografie von Zinkplatte auf Papier, Aus dem Bestand des ZfK / ifa-Kunstsammlung. Foto: die arge lola © Uwe Pfeifer und VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026.
How does one tell the story of an institution that exhibited art worldwide and is now all but forgotten? What were the intentions behind the work of the GDR Centre for Art Exhibitions?
The exhibition Rauschen: Echoes of an Institution examines the work of the GDR Centre for Art Exhibitions (ZfK) and sheds light on its complex role at the intersection of state cultural policy and international cultural exchange. Commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, the ZfK organised exhibitions both at home and abroad from its foundation in 1973 until its dissolution in 1990, becoming a key player in the promotion of art and culture in the GDR. When it closed on 31 December 1990, the ZfK’s collection of graphic art, comprising around 10,000 works, was transferred to the ifa – Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations.
In the exhibition, “noise” stands for the faint background sounds that become audible behind an institution’s official narratives. For media theorist Friedrich Kittler, it refers to that moment when a medium itself becomes visible – no longer merely as a transparent carrier of messages, but as a structure. The diverse voices of the archive materials, eyewitnesses and artistic perspectives coalesce into a multi-layered picture that reflects the work of the ZfK. In this way, the exhibition reconstructs, through a chronological narrative, excerpts from a chapter of international art history that has, until now, been little explored.
Alongside works from the collections of the ZfK and the ifas, contemporary artistic approaches open up new perspectives on the history of the ZfK. Nadja Abt and Katharina Marszewski focus on Robert Rauschenberg’s ROCI exhibition, combining historical documents with their own artistic perspective. In her new work Vagant Orient, Anna Bromley explores the interconnections between cultural and trade relations between the GDR and Syria. Whilst Suse Weber focuses on the work of Werner Schinko and his widely used illustrations for school and children’s books in the GDR, David Polzin’s posters explore the social possibilities that emerged after 1990.
Featuring 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 and Karla Woisnitza
Curated by Susanne Weiß in collaboration with Nadja Abt, Swantje Greve and Petronela Soltesz; exhibition design: Eran Schaerf in collaboration with Flo Gaertner.
The exhibition at the ifa Gallery in Berlin marks the start of the ifa exhibition series *Publik Machen – On the Work and Activities of the GDR Centre for Art Exhibitions in Berlin*. The project is being organised in cooperation with the Wüstenrot Foundation and is funded by the Capital City Culture Fund. In collaboration with Schloss Biesdorf, KVOST – Kunstverein Ost, the Prater Galerie and the Galerie im Turm, as well as the Kunsthaus Dresden.
WHEN?
Opening: Thursday, 25 June 2026, 7 pm
Exhibition dates: Friday, 26 June – Sunday, 27 September 2026
Opening hours: Tuesday – Wednesday, Friday – Sunday, 2 – 6 pm, Thursday, 2 – 8 pm
WHERE?
ifa Gallery Berlin
Linienstrasse 139/140
D-10115 Berlin
