Zwickau, 31 October 2026 — The exhibition “Myth of the Ore Mountains: Art and the Independent Spirit of a Region” has opened at the Historic Cotton Mill 1896 in Zwickau-Pölbitz . Covering around 1,600 square metres, the exhibition offers a broad overview of art from the Ore Mountains, from the 20th century to the present day, and is open until 23 May 2027.
The exhibition is curated by Dr Paul Kaiser and Dieter Hoefer. The project partner is the Dresden Institute for Cultural Studies, with other participating institutions from Saxony. According to the organisers, the exhibition brings together several hundred works by more than 120 artists; depending on the works included, figures range from around 280 to more than 350 individual pieces. An accompanying catalogue featuring scholarly essays will be published during the exhibition.
The exhibition takes a systematic look at the region’s artistic output, from Classical Modernism and the GDR era to contemporary work. It features painting, graphic art, sculpture and photography, with film documents supplementing the overview. The curators stress that, alongside established names, younger artists are also being included to bring continuities and breaks into view. The region’s collecting history is also explored.
The organisers and funders are predominantly based in Saxony. The Dresden Institute for Cultural Studies lists the following supporters: East German Savings Banks Foundation, with Sparkasse Zwickau and the metaWERK AG. The exhibition is under the patronage of the Minister-President of the Free State of Saxony. Opening hours are Wednesday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm.
The opening marks a new and comparatively comprehensive approach to the art history of the Ore Mountains. According to the organisers, the exhibition aims to challenge familiar clichés about the region and bring out the distinctiveness of its artistic scene. It is not yet possible to reliably assess what impact this will have on collecting strategies, the loan of artworks or future exhibition projects; any such assessments are forecasts and depend on the response from visitors and experts, as well as on catalogue sales.
The exhibition runs from 31 October 2026 to 23 May 2027 at the venue in Zwickau-Pölbitz. Visitor information, changes and supplementary programmes will be updated by the organisers during the exhibition.
Editor: Celestina Fuentes (Article created with AI assistance).