An Artistic View of Housing in East Germany: Paintings and Photography at Museum Het Schip

This duo exhibition features paintings and photographs inspired by post-war housing in East Germany. Artists Erik Timmermans and Geert Heijink explore the architectural and artistic aspects of the prefabricated 'Plattenbauten' and 'Kunst am Bau' (art in architecture) in the former German Democratic Republic.

From June 2 to October 10, 2019, Museum Het Schip presented 'Een kunstzinnige kijk op huisvesting in Oost-Duitsland' (An artistic view of housing in East Germany). This dual exhibition showcased the work of artist Erik Timmermans and photographer Geert Heijink, both inspired by the housing projects in post-war East Germany. During the 1960s and 70s, large-scale housing was built for workers in East Germany with minimal architectural consideration, prioritizing technique over design due to financial and ideological constraints. Often seen as symbols of anonymity and state control, the prefabricated, grey 'Plattenbauten' are re-examined here. Erik Timmermans, through his 'Platte Art' series, breaks away from the monotonous patterns by constructing and painting new, more colorful facade structures, aiming to give a place to the human element behind the facade. Complementing this, photographer Geert Heijink focuses on the 'Kunst am Bau' – art integrated into public architectural spaces that adorned many DDR flats and served as an ideological tool. While much of this facade art survives, Heijink's photographs reveal them as mere remnants and set pieces of a vanished past, stripped of their propagandistic value.

The exhibition was held in the lunchroom of Museum Het Schip. Visitors could view the exhibition as part of their museum visit; specific ticketing details for the exhibition itself are not provided beyond general museum admission context, which is typical for displays within a museum's public areas.