Music, Music, Music – Between social criticism and popular tunes – The greatest hits in the arts
German pop songs have been a musical genre for around 140 years. Although rather straightforward at first glance, it turns out that German pop songs are a highly complex cultural form and collective resonance chamber for social role models and worldviews, which also find their way into the visual arts. This is what the exhibition at the Kunsthalle Rostock aims to explore in further detail.
The birth of the pop song genre is closely tied to the advent of modernism and its underlying technological and societal foundations, in particular, electrification and urbanisation. The exhibition examines the relationship of pop songs, society and visual arts based on selected thematic complexes such as migration, homeland, body images and wanderlust. In this way, the exhibition details the multifaceted nature and reciprocal influence that German pop songs had on contemporary trends and view them as a reflection of their time. These range from “Die fesche Lola” (Marlene Dietrich, 1930) to “Bauch Beine Po” (Shirin David, 2024). The themes of homeland and wanderlust are expressed differently in “Junge, komm bald wieder” (Freddy Quinn, 1962) than in “Griechischer Wein” (Udo Jürgens, 1974), for instance. “Lili Marleen” (Lale Andersen, 1939) and “Ein bisschen Frieden” (Nicole, 1982), on the other hand, take a clear position on war and the military.
With examples of popular music, everyday items and artistic works tied to the world of German pop songs, the exhibition brings to light various perspectives on society and collective images. For example, Lesser Ury’s “Hochbahnhof Bülowstraße” from 1922 and Sibylle Bergemann’s series “Clärchens Ballhaus” from 1976 are shown alongside works in the collection of the Kunsthalle Rostock, such as Claus Weidensdorfer’s “Schlagersängerin” from 1977. Hans Ticha has made multiple references in his works to women pop singers as female icons, and Rosa von Praunheim created a cinematic monument dedicated to Rex Gildo in 2022. Site-specific works by Stephanie Lüning and :mentalKLINIK presents the impact of art and German pop songs and play with similar aesthetic forms and overpowering strategies.
An accompanying programme in Rostock, as well as satellite exhibitions will offer events targeted at multi-generational audiences and will include concerts, discussion formats and educational events specifically designed to appeal to young target groups, such as Gen Z.
Curators: Ingo van Aaren, Elke Neumann
Artists: Joël Andrianomearisoa, Sybille Bergemann, Norbert Bisky, Andrea Grützner, Ulrich Hachulla, Stephanie Lüning, :mentalKLINIK, Gundula Schulze Eldowy, Hans Ticha, Claus Weidensdorfer and others
Dates
27 June 2027 – 9 January 2028: Exhibition
Kunsthalle Rostock, | Rostock