When does the exhibition take place?

The exhibition can be seen from 28.02.2026 to 17.05.2026 at the Diesel Power Plant Cottbus.

How much is the entry fee?

According to BLMK, a single ticket for an exhibition costs 4 euros.

Is the exhibition accessible?

The exhibition spaces are accessible according to BLMK via a ramp. It is recommended to bring an accompanying person.

Is photography allowed in the exhibition?

Yes, photography and filming are permitted at BLMK exclusively for private purposes.

Are there guided tours for the exhibition?

Yes, BLMK offers public tours and the Art Circle 60+. Published admission and tour prices apply for specific dates.

Where is the venue located?

At the Diesel Power Plant, Uferstraße/Am Amtsteich 15, 03046 Cottbus.

Made Men presents Cottbus as a stage for masculine imagery and cultural history

Name: Made Men. Bodies, Gesture, Habitus of Masculine Imagery
Start: 2026-02-28T01:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-05-17T02:00:00+02:00
Location: Dieselkraftwerk

An artistic experience about masculinity, power, and visual language in Cottbus

With Made Men. Bodies, Gesture, Habitus of Masculine Imagery, the Brandenburg State Museum for Modern Art opens an exhibition at the Diesel Power Plant Cottbus that makes masculinity visible as a cultural construct. The exhibition starts in the Weimar era and traces how images of the body, gestures, and role models were formed and shifted in painting, drawing, graphic art, and poster art.

Between Body Discipline and Visual Staging

The exhibition focuses on the visual codes with which masculinity has been narratively constructed, normalized, and questioned over decades. In the BLMK collection, different artistic positions converge that condense the relationship between body, labor, posture, and societal expectation. This creates an exhibition that is readable not only art historically but also culturally historically.

Painting, Graphic Art, and Poster Art as Mirrors of Social Roles

Particularly impressive is the intertwining of different media. Painting, drawing, graphic art, and poster art unfold a multi-layered aesthetic experience in the museum space: lines become postures, colors become codes, figures become carriers of social meaning. Those who consciously engage with the artworks discover tensions between ideal, pose, and everyday reality within the visual worlds.

Curating with Art Historical Depth

The curation of the exhibition is linked to the scientific work of the BLMK, whose collection is primarily shaped by art from the GDR while being placed in international contexts. This is precisely where the institution’s special authority lies: it negotiates artistic traditions not in isolation but as part of a larger image and social history. The exhibition thus opens a clever access to questions of habitus, body politics, and visual representation.

The Museum as a Place of Reflection

The Diesel Power Plant in Cottbus provides a fitting setting for this exhibition. The location combines modern museum architecture with an intense exhibition atmosphere that favors focused viewing. Those who engage with the exhibition experience not just art but a precise staging of perception, memory, and societal interpretation.

Conclusion

Made Men promises a multifaceted exhibition about the cultural production of masculinity and its visual history since the Weimar era. Art enthusiasts can expect an equally knowledgeable and stimulating tour through collection holdings, image strategies, and historical contexts. A visit to the BLMK is worthwhile for anyone who wants to experience art as a space for thought and as an aesthetic experience.