In the 1990s, after the reunification of West and East Germany, a number of talented young artists from West Germany sought an education at the Art Academy in Leipzig, in the former East Germany. Well insulated from the influences of the West under communism, the school had a reputation for teaching the basics of painting - perspective and composition - unsullied by abstraction. These artists gradually took what they learned and turned it on its head, shaping new inspirations with technical finesse and a passion for figurative art.
The exhibition shows the work of 15 artists and ranges from paper cut-outs to photo montages. It recreates the style of a comic book, revisits expressionism and presents a kind of 21st century futurism. The works demonstrate a rethinking of tradition and at the same time an entirely new approach, with nods to Bauhaus forms, pop culture and narrative art. One sees rich associations in these works that give their roots a new voice.
The works of the New Leipzig School are like a "a visual idiom that is colourful, eye-catching, entertaining, and at the same time, thought-provoking," the Műcsarnok writes on its website.
