Gitte Zschoch on German Pavilion, East German Visibility, and Cultural Diplomacy
Since mid-July, Gitte Zschoch has served as the Secretary-General of the Goethe-Institut. She addresses the German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, named "Ruin," which showcases the works of Sung Tieu and Henrike Naumann, under the curation of Kathleen Reinhardt. Zschoch reports favorable feedback and notes the pavilion's architectural evolution, defending its significance amid criticisms of elitism, attracting 600,000 visitors each edition. As the first individual from East Germany in this position, she underscores the importance of an all-East German female team for East German identity. Recalling her experiences in Kinshasa with Naumann and Wolfgang Tillmans on "Fragile," Zschoch stresses cultural diplomacy, outreach to non-metropolitan audiences, and support for Ukraine, while translating Jenny Erpenbeck's "Kairos" into over 12 languages.
Key facts
- Gitte Zschoch became Secretary-General of the Goethe-Institut in mid-July.
- The German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, titled 'Ruin', features artists Sung Tieu and Henrike Naumann, curated by Kathleen Reinhardt.
- The pavilion attracts around 600,000 visitors per edition.
- Zschoch is the first East German Secretary-General of the Goethe-Institut.
- The pavilion team is the first all-female, all-East German team.
- Zschoch previously led the Ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen) and oversaw the German Pavilion.
- In Kinshasa, Henrike Naumann was a resident artist and Wolfgang Tillmans collaborated on the exhibition 'Fragile' at MACM.
- New Goethe-Institut locations are opening in Lublin, Poland, and St. Louis, USA.
- The Goethe-Institut set up a stabilization fund for Ukrainian cultural institutions after the Russian invasion.
- Jenny Erpenbeck's 'Kairos' was translated into over 12 languages with Goethe-Institut support.
- Zschoch speaks German, English, French, and Korean.
Entities
Artists
- Gitte Zschoch
- Sung Tieu
- Henrike Naumann
- Kathleen Reinhardt
- Wolfgang Tillmans
- Steffen Mau
- Marieke Reimann
- Jenny Erpenbeck
- Lukas Rietzschel
Institutions
- Goethe-Institut
- Ifa – Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen
- Musée National d’Art Contemporain et Multimédia (MACM)
- Auswärtiges Amt
Locations
- Venedig
- Italy
- Kinshasa
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Lublin
- Poland
- St. Louis
- United States
- Leipzig
- Germany
- Portugal
- South America
- Cairo
- Egypt
- Ukraine
- South Korea