Ulrike Kuschel
BILDBESCHREIBUNGEN I

Recent employment at a picture agency (ullstein bild) has resulted in Berlin artist Ulrike Kuschel’s pre-
occupation with historic press- and archive photographs. She has selected 60 exemplary pictures for a
deeper analysis, for her own purposes, between January and June 2005. The archive’s large stock of
images from Germany’s national socialist period and an increasing demand for such images during the
run-up to the 60 years’ commemoration of the end of WW II, have directed her focus towards photogra-
phy of the 1930s and ‘40s. Photographs concerning other topics, such as the American Civil War, World
Youth Games, or depictions of the actress Tilla Durieux, have nonetheless also been included and pro-
cessed by her.
Kuschel approaches her subject matter with detailed picture descriptions that she adds to original cap-
tions cited from the archives. These are informed primarily by own reflection and research, but also by
details derived from the respective archiving procedures themselves.
The precise dating and in-depth descriptions add a seemingly scientific pretence to her approach.
At the same time the texts are formulated from a first-person narrator’s (the artist’s) personal perspec-
tive - ‘objective’ historical facts are merged with her own point of view, speculations and interpretations regarding the events.
The texts are allocated respective images. These are, however, not the original ones described by the
captions, but acquired ‘equivalents’ (e.g. press-pictures, found photographs or postcards), that corres-
pond to some extend with the original archive images, but do not explicitly illustrate them. The slight
(and at times considerable) textual differences vis à vis the image constitute a source of confusion and
a semantic shift for the recipient, who is forced to take a closer look. Thus, the description of a photo-
graph depicting leading Nazi politicians and military personnel in the dock during the Nuremberg Trials
is allocated an image of German prisoners of war, taken during Easter 1946.
Similarly, an out-of-work shop assistant reporting for Arbeitsdienst (forced labour) [photograph by Otto
Umbehr, 1933] is represented by a maidservant feeding geese [postcard after a photograph by Hans
Retzlaff "Arbeitsmaiden am Werk", 1940]

In Ulrike Kuschel’s Bildbeschreibungen I, an easily decipherable, at times even partisan caption is fol-
lowed by a text that prevents an all to easy reading of the images. On viewing, the picture descriptions are
being eclipsed, i.e. completed by mnemonic images of the beholder as well as the allocated equivalent
photograph. Without claiming to be exhaustive, this approach allows interrelations between interests in
historic events, the history of private lives and loose associations. At the same time the work opens up
manifold possibilities of dealing with the photographic image, from purposeful use to conceptual artistic
discourse.

From March 6th onwards, a continuation of the project, Bildbeschreibungen II, will be on view as part of
the exhibition 'Von der Abwesenheit des Lagers' at Kunsthaus Dresden.

For further information or images please contact the gallery.

opening: 4th February 2006, 4 - 8 pm
duration of the exhibition: 8th Februar until March 18th
opening hours: Wednesdays through Saturdays 2 - 6 pm