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Halle (dpa) - Because of its integration with the socialist system, it is still controversial today - but as a painter Willi Sitte is one of the most important artists of the 20th century.
He would have turned 100 on Sunday (February 28th).
On this occasion, the Moritzburg Art Museum Halle (Saale) is preparing a retrospective.
In the exhibition under the motto “Sittes Welt”, around 250 works from seven decades of his work will be shown from October 3rd.
It will be the first big show on custom in Germany for three decades.
"We hope that the exhibition will stimulate a scholarly discussion of custom and that the new generation will also be interested," said the director of the art museum, Thomas Bauer-Friedrich.
The prerequisite is an objective discussion, without drawers.
At the center of the retrospective is Sitte's art (1921-2013), but of course also with reference to his political ties, emphasized Bauer-Friedrich.
"Life, work and political convictions are intertwined with him," said the art historian.
"We are not doing a cultural-historical exhibition about the customs of state artists."
The painter was president of the Association of Visual Artists of the GDR and was part of the culture commission of the central committee of the SED.
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He was noticed in the West German and European art scene through his participation in “documenta 6” in 1977 at the latest.
Sitte represented the GDR in Kassel with the founders of the “Leipzig School” painting style, such as Bernhard Heisig (1925-2011), Wolfgang Mattheuer (1927-2004) and Werner Tübke (1929-2004).
The artist went through a long development, his works in the 1950s were different than in the following decades, explained Bauer-Friedrich.
"He was perfect in drawing," says the art historian.
Custom is more than large-format pictures with workers' motifs.
This also included works on paper, drawn with fine lines.
In the GDR, custom was considered an outstanding representative of socialist realism.
He was born on February 28, 1921 in Kratzau (Chrastava in the Czech Republic).
He died on June 8, 2013 at the age of 92 at his long-term home and work in Halle.
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210226-99-600898 / 2
Exhibition "Sittes World"
The Moritzburg Art Museum Halle (Saale)
The painter Willi Sitte