Name: Made Men. Bodies, Gesture, Habitus of Masculine Imagery
Start: 2026-05-01T13:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-05-17T21:00:00+02:00
Location: Dieselkraftwerk

Made Men in Cottbus: An Exhibition about Body Images, Roles, and Ideologies

The Brandenburg State Museum for Modern Art opens an exhibition at the Diesel Power Plant Cottbus starting February 28, 2026, that examines masculinity not as a natural state but as a culturally shaped image. Approximately 90 works from painting, drawing, graphics, and poster art trace how masculine imagery has formed, asserted, and transformed since the Weimar period. The exhibition will be on view until May 17, 2026. ([blmk.de](https://www.blmk.de/kalender/))

An Artistic Experience between History and Present

The exhibition combines the observation of works with cultural-historical analysis. It shows how gesture, posture, and habitus became visual signs through which social norms, political order, and aesthetic ideals can be read. Particularly in the context of GDR art, this perspective gains particular sharpness: The BLMK preserves one of the largest collections of East German art and works with a stock that is heavily characterized by painting, graphics, poster art, and photography. ([blmk.de](https://www.blmk.de/museum/geschichte/?utm_source=openai))

Works, Discourses, and Perspectives

Artists mentioned in the exhibition include, among others, Norbert Bisky, Lea Grundig, Harald Metzkes, Volker Stelzmann, and Max Uhlig. Their works open different perspectives on body representation, work ethic, authority, and vulnerability. This creates a dense atmosphere in the exhibition, where artistic language and social interpretative power confront each other directly. ([reiseland-brandenburg.de](https://www.reiseland-brandenburg.de/veranstaltung/spreewald/gemachte-maenner-koerper-gestus-habitus-maskuliner-bildwelten/?utm_source=openai))

Curatorial Precision in the Space of the Diesel Power Plant

The BLMK program page does not mention any own art-historical framing of the exhibition, but the accompanying reports clearly locate it as a debate about constructed masculinity, which was particularly ideologically charged in the GDR. Monopol quotes curator Christopher Straub stating that the image of masculinity among the working class in industrial modernity was characterized by physical hardness and discipline. This curatorial positioning turns the walk through the exhibition into an aesthetic experience with political depth. ([monopol-magazin.de](https://www.monopol-magazin.de/gemacht-maenner-brandenburgisches-landemuseum-review?utm_source=openai))

Art Education and Visitor Experience

The BLMK accompanies the exhibition with guided tours; a tour with Christopher Straub is scheduled for April 28, 2026, as well as additional dates in May. The museum also explicitly works with art education, tour offerings, and formats for different target groups. The Diesel Power Plant itself is accessible via elevators and is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 11 AM to 7 PM. ([blmk.de](https://www.blmk.de/kalender/))

Conclusion

This exhibition promises not a superficial topic, but a concentrated engagement with the image history of masculinity. Those who understand art as a mirror of social order will find a demanding artistic experience with clear museum pedagogical relevance. A visit to the Diesel Power Plant Cottbus is definitely worthwhile live. ([blmk.de](https://www.blmk.de/kalender/))