What happens when art does not keep its distance, but demands connection?

berühren[d] brings together visual art, performance and shared spaces for thought and experience concerning the body, empathy and power in an increasingly disembodied, authoritarian present. Performative interventions are being developed specifically for the exhibition to deliberately engage with the works on display. The artists are not merely exhibitors, but also become mediators of their knowledge, taking part in workshops and discussions this summer as part of the International Dresden Summer Academy of Fine Arts. The exhibition extends into a shared learning experience.

berühren[d] outlines a sensory-political counter-model to control, isolation and digital abstraction, and reveals just how closely insight is tied to the body, closeness and participation.

Artists: Eric Beier [DE], Gina Bolle [DE], Noemi Durighello [DE/IT], Marc Fromm [DE], Paetzug & Hertweck [DE], Karin Reichmuth [CH], Luise Ritter [DE], Theresa Rothe [DE], Liza Sivakova [DE/RU], Kathrin Sonntag [DE]

Performers [Tanznetz Dresden]: Felix Chang [D/TWN], Cindy Hammer [DE], Daniela Lehmann [DE], João Pedro de Paula [DE/BRA]

Curators & Project Team: Denise Ackermann, Anke Dietrich, Andreas Sommerfeld, Ronja Gerth, Claudia Harnisch, Steffen Weber, Susanne Gärtner, Edna Ressel

Opening Sunday 26 July, 6 pm
Venue: Motorenhalle. For Contemporary Art, 01067 Dresden, access via Wachsbleichstr. 4a or via Adlergasse 12/Kulturhof (wheelchair access)
Exhibition dates: 27 July – 5 August 2026 (closed on 1 and 2 August 2026)
Opening hours: Week of 27 July – 31 July: Mon – Fri 5 pm – 7 pm; Special opening to mark the summer festival on 29 July (Wed) 7 pm – 10 pm // Week of 3 August – 5 August 2026: Mon – Wed 4 pm – 7 pm

Admission: €5.00 / €3.50, free on the opening night and on Fridays // Free for Summer Academy participants