Name: Made Men. Bodies, Gestures, Habitus of Masculine Imagery
Start: 2026-05-10T13:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-05-17T21:00:00+02:00
Location: Dieselkraftwerk

Made Men at BLMK: How Art Makes Masculinity Visible

At the Brandenburg State Museum for Modern Art in the Diesel Power Plant Cottbus, the exhibition Made Men. Bodies, Gestures, Habitus of Masculine Imagery offers a perspective on a topic that extends far beyond art: How are images of masculinity created, and how do they shape bodies, postures, and societal roles? The exhibition navigates through different historical and aesthetic formations since the Weimar era based on works from painting, drawing, graphics, and poster art.

Masculinity as Image Construction

The exhibition does not depict man as a given natural motif, but as a culturally shaped phenomenon. In the works, visitors encounter an imagery that addresses discipline, hardness, work ethic, and authority as well as doubts, breaks, and dissolution. Thus, the examination of the artworks becomes a precise reading of gestures, bodily postures, and ideological attributions.

From the Worker Figure to the Broken Pose

Especially striking is the art-historical tension: Earlier representations of labor, collectivity, and political exemplarity meet later positions in which masculine role models begin to falter. The art experience unfolds in the juxtaposition of heroic poses and inner insecurity. Therein lies the strength of this exhibition: it reveals how much imagery reflects and also creates social orders.

Collection, Curation, and Context

The presentation relies on the extensive holdings of the BLMK, thus anchoring itself in a collection that is of central importance for the art and cultural history of East Germany. The exhibition is curated by Christopher Straub, who as the curator of the collection of painting, graphics, and sculpture examines the holdings of the museum with art-historical accuracy. The exhibition stands as an exemplary model for a museum pedagogically grounded curation that connects research, communication, and aesthetic experience.

The Diesel Power Plant as a Place of Modernity

The Diesel Power Plant Cottbus is itself a striking place of modernity. The building showcases its strengths in connecting industrial architecture, changing exhibitions, and barrier-free accessible spaces. The atmosphere supports the concentrated viewing of works, whose language of form fluctuates between realistic, expressive, and graphic positions.

Cultural Education and In-Depth Museum Visit

The exhibition at BLMK also includes guided tours and art-educational formats. Those who engage with the exhibition experience not only a display of images but a reflective confrontation with gender representations, political iconography, and the power of artistic representation. For art enthusiasts, students, teachers, and culturally curious visitors, this tour offers a dense access to a highly current topic in art history.

Conclusion: Made Men is an exhibition for anyone who wishes to experience art as a space for thought. It combines collection history, social analysis, and powerful images into a multifaceted occasion for a visit. Those who want to understand how art shapes, questions, and deconstructs masculinity should see this exhibition live in Cottbus.