Revolutionary Romances?

Revolutionary Romances? Global Art Histories in the GDR looks at East Germany's relations-rooted in a spirit of friendship and revolution-with its socialist "sister" countries in Asia, Africa, andLatin America. The concepts of "international solidarity" and "friendship between nations" hadan inherent geopolitical agenda: as such, they not only determined East Germany's foreign policybut also supported a multitude of transcultural contacts and became a key focus of propagandaand the visual arts in the GDR. The book accompanying the exhibition of the same name presentsthemes and motifs of actual and putative "revolutionary romances", including the ideals andicons of socialist internationalism, artistic protests against war and violence, travel images, mailart, and works produced by foreign art students in East Germany.Mathias Wagner is an art historian and conservator at the Albertinum, Staatliche KunstsammlungenDresden. Hilke Wagner is an art historian and director of the Albertinum, Staatliche Kunst-sammlungen Dresden. Kerstin Schankweiler is a professor for visual studies in a global contextin the Institute of Art and Music at TUD Dresden University of Technology. Kathleen Reinhardt isan art historian and director of the Georg Kolbe Museum, Berlin.