Die Ausstellung „Kader Attia

The exhibition ‘Kader Attia: Le Sacre du Printemps – On the Eve of War’ at the Archiv der Avantgarden – Egidio Marzona (ADA) of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) has been created in collaboration with the artist Kader Attia (b. 1970). Taking Igor Stravinsky’s famous ballet ‘Le Sacre du Printemps’, which premiered in Paris in 1913, as its starting point, the exhibition takes a critical look at the connections between the historical avant-garde movements – such as Cubism, Futurism, and Expressionism – and the historical impact of the First World War.

The ballet consists of two parts: ‘Adoration of the Earth’ and ‘The Sacrifice’. It depicts a fictional ritual in which a young woman is sacrificed to celebrate spring as a symbol of new life. Following this structure, the exhibition is divided into two parts and, through historical objects from the ADA’s collection, highlights parallels with the First World War. It draws a connection between the death of the girl and the millions of young soldiers who lost their lives on the front lines. In this way, the exhibition also reflects on the very concept of the ‘avant-garde’, a term originally used in a military context and whose significance extends far beyond the realm of art history.

The exhibition in the Blockhaus – which housed the Royal Saxon Ministry of War from 1851 to 1918 and has accommodated the ADA since 2024 – features around 120 objects from the ADA’s collections, including works by Hans Arp, Umberto Boccioni, and Wassily Kandinsky. These enter into dialogue with the wooden busts, collages, and video works by Kader Attia. His works of art explore the physical and psychological effects of war and raise the question of what societies do to heal the wounds left behind.

Kader Attia is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice emerges from the lived experience of two cultural contexts: the Algerian and the French. Born in 1970 in Dugny, France, he currently lives and works in Berlin and Paris. He also serves as a Professor of Time-based Media at Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg (HFBK). From his position of cultural in-betweenness, he examines the geopolitical interconnections rooted in the histories of colonialism, appropriation, and cultural superimposition. At the core of his work lie collective traumas, as well as his concept of ‘reparation’ – a notion he has developed as an aesthetic, political, and ethical category.

Among the programme of events accompanying the exhibition will be a discussion with the artist Kader Attia. Other events in formats specific to the ADA will explore the themes of the exhibition. Of particular note are the Tiny Desk Lectures, featuring contributions from both local and international researchers. In addition, free, public guided tours will offer visitors the chance to enjoy the works on display together.

further infomation

Duration: 5 November 2026 to 21 March 2027

Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday, 3 – 7 pm, Saturday and Sunday, 11 am – 6 pm

Tickets: adult ticket € 5, reduced € 4, pupils (under20) € 2, school children under school age free