Transforming the Body into a Space of Resistance: Gabriele Stötzer Retrospective “Dabei sein und nicht schweigen” at Gropius Bau

Gabriele Stötzer’s artistic practice spanning over fifty years stands as one of the rawest and most radical documents of justice, feminist liberation, and opposition to authoritarian regimes. Framing her own body not as a passive object, but as a space of political struggle and feminist self-affirmation, Stötzer’s most comprehensive institutional solo exhibition to date, “Dabei sein und nicht schweigen” (Being There and Not Keeping Silent), meets art lovers between June 19 and December 6, 2026, at Berlin’s iconic venue, Gropius Bau.

An Underground Legend and Artistic Rebellion Born in Prison

Stötzer’s artistic production cannot be considered separately from her socio-political struggle. Arrested in 1976 by the East German (GDR) authorities on charges of “defaming the state” due to a petition campaign she organized, the artist placed herself at the center of underground literary and art circles following a year-long prison sentence.

Later becoming one of the co-founders of the interdisciplinary radical women’s collective Künstlerinnengruppe Erfurt, Stötzer developed bold counter-concepts against state oppression and control mechanisms, carving out space for vulnerability, desire, and freedom.

An Interdisciplinary Legacy: A Massive Selection of 150 Works

The exhibition offers a massive selection of approximately 150 works ranging from painting to literature, photography to textile art, Super 8 films to performance documentations and public interventions. This comprehensive retrospective aims to provide the widespread institutional recognition this pioneering artist deserves.

Additionally, Gabriele Stötzer stands out as one of the most significant artistic voices in the 75th-anniversary celebration program of the Berliner Festspiele. For this special occasion, the artist also designed a collectible, limited-edition poster.

Curation and Exhibition Routes

Curated by independent curator Julia Grosse and Gropius Bau Assistant Curator Christopher Wierling, the concept of the exhibition bears the signature of Julia Grosse and Franziska Schmidt, Director of the Tempelhof-Schöneberg Municipal Galleries. Following its showing at Gropius Bau, the exhibition will travel to Museum Abteiberg in Mönchengladbach from March 14 to September 26, 2027.