Documentation and Communication of Construction-Related Art in Grünau
© Alexandra Ivanciu
Site visit of the sculpture DYNAMISCHE FORMEN by Karl-Heinz Steinbrück (1988), also known as "Shoelace"
Site visit of the sculpture DYNAMISCHE FORMEN by Karl-Heinz Steinbrück (1988), also known as "Shoelace"
To mark the “50 Years of Grünau” anniversary, the City of Leipzig and the Wüstenrot Foundation are launching a joint project to systematically document, research, and reinterpret GDR-era public art in Grünau. From the very beginning, sculptures, murals, neon signs, and other artistic works have played a decisive role in shaping the neighborhood’s identity—and continue to do so today. After 1990, however, losses occurred: works were destroyed by vandalism, removed, or obscured by renovation projects. This cultural heritage, which faces multiple threats, is now to be preserved, made visible, and rediscovered together with the local community.
To this end, a documentation project will systematically collect, evaluate, and make available to the public documents, photos, and archival materials. The focus is on questions such as how architecture-related art emerged in Grünau, who commissioned it, and how artists created sculptures. Finally, their current condition is of interest.
The “Stadtkuratorin Leipzig” public art program offers a comprehensive educational program as the second component of the project. The focus is on the perspectives and memories of the people of Grünau: What role does art play in everyday life? What personal stories do the residents of Grünau associate with individual works? How does the view of art held by people who lived in Grünau during the GDR era differ from that of later arrivals and younger people?
The educational program consists of two series:
“Lost & Found”—in collaboration with the KOMM-Haus—is aimed at interested residents and eyewitnesses. The series invites participants to reminisce, share stories, and explore together, while also bringing to light previously undocumented knowledge about architecture-related art in the neighborhood.
“What Does the Poodle Pony Say to You?”—implemented by the greater form project group—is specifically aimed at children and young people in Grünau. They explore their neighborhood, interview eyewitnesses and experts, and encounter works of art in public spaces. A fictional perspective—such as the question of what the artworks would say if they could speak—opens up a playful, low-threshold approach.
The project accompanies the 50th anniversary of Grünau with a series of public events, including:
Starting June 1 – Call for submissions for the Groundbreaking Day: Do you know of artworks in Grünau that no longer exist today? Share your stories and photos with us! Write to us (hallo@stadtkuratorin-leipzig.de) or stop by the Storytelling Café:
June 13, 2026 – “What Does the Poodle Pony Tell Us?” and Storytelling Café as part of “50 Years – 50 Tables” for the opening of the Grünau Cultural Summer on Stuttgarter Allee. Interview station with greater form and discussions about stories and memories of architecture-related art in Grünau with Johanna Krümpelbeck and Ina Tuscher
June 20, 2026 – “Storytelling Café: Stories and Memories of Architecture-Related Art in Grünau.” We’re interested in your stories and memories of architecture-related art in Grünau! Harald Kirschner’s exhibition will be on view at the KommHaus at the same time.
August 28, 2026 – Participation in the Intercultural Neighborhood Festival on Alte Salzstraße in Grünau-Mitte
September 13, 2026 – Extensive program for National Heritage Day. Including a bike tour of architectural landmarks in Grünau with Mayor Thomas Dienberg and Klaus Jestaedt, Head of the Department of Monument Preservation, as well as the event “Vanished, Covered Up, Relocated – On Grünau’s Lost Works of Art in Public Spaces.”
Follow the project for further dates and information on our project website at www.leipzig.de/stadtkuratorin and on social media.
“Shoelaces and Poodle Ponies in Prefab Buildings!” is a joint documentation and outreach project by the Wüstenrot Foundation and the City of Leipzig, developed in cooperation with Stadtkuratorin Leipzig.
The project is part of the Wüstenrot Foundation’s “Architecture-Related Art in the GDR” program.
Leipzig – local context and ongoing urban development concepts
Since 1990, Leipzig has been undergoing a continuous and sometimes contradictory process of transformation. The city has responded to this with various strategies and concepts, some of which form the basis of the work of Stadtkuratorin Leipzig.
Art in public spaces in Leipzig
This text provides an exemplary overview of the permanent, mainly historical projects relating to art in public spaces in Leipzig, explaining the themes they deal with and the debates arising from them. It also identifies some of the gaps in Leipzig's urban environment, i.e. perspectives and topics that remain largely invisible.
Leipzig’s Mosaics from 1949 to 1990 – Documenting, Evaluating, Preserving
Unfortunately, this content is currently only available in German. An English translation is on the way.
