Welcome

Welcome to the Transatlantic Institute for East German Art's website. Founded in 2011, TIEGA began with a discussion between its founders about the need to encourage art historical engagement with East German art - in Germany, where scholarship has tended to be led by scholars working in other fields, and in English-speaking countries, where the study of East German art continues to lag far behind film, literature, and material culture. Through scholarly collaboration, TIEGA encourages a nuanced engagement with East German art that sets aside Cold War stereotypes and current ideological investments, recognizing that East German art is of value both in its own right and as a perpective from which to better understand the artistic choices made in the Western art world after 1945. 

TIEGA's main intervention is through conferences, bringing together scholars from both sides of the Atlantic every three years. The first conference took place in 2014 - Reassessing East German Art: 25 Years After the Fall of the Berlin Wall brought together fifteen scholars from England, France, Germany, and the United States to Ames, Iowa, for three days of talks and discussions. In 2017, TIEGA worked together with the Kunstfonds Dresden to create a workshop that brought together twelve scholars for discussions in Dresden. Covid led to a multi-year pause, but we are returning in 2024 with a four-day Summer Academy that will take place in Beeskow, Eisenhüttenstadt, and Cottbus.

This website stands as both a repository of past projects ("Conferences") and a resource for current exhibitions and events ("In the News"). Additional features will be added.

​If you have questions or comments, please contact eismana [at] iastate.edu