Icons of Civil Disobedience in the Old Town Hall Bielefeld
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Icons of Civil Disobedience: Art, Attitude, and Lived Responsibility
The EG Gallery in the Old Town Hall Bielefeld presents the exhibition icons of civil disobedience featuring 55 portrait paintings and cut-out boards by the Bielefeld artist Angelika Schneider-v. Maydell. The focus is on personalities who stand against injustice and make social responsibility visible – including Francesca Albanese, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, and Greta Thunberg.
Portraits as Visual Testimonies of Resistance
The exhibition combines political iconography with classical artwork analysis. In painting and cut-out boards, Angelika Schneider-v. Maydell translates the public presence of her portrayed subjects into a concentrated artistic form. The portrait appears not just as a likeness, but as a cultural memory: it preserves faces, attitudes, and conflicts that shape contemporary discourse.
Between Painting, Cut-Out Boards, and Social Debate
The juxtaposition of different techniques offers a differentiated aesthetic experience. The portrait paintings resonate through color, gaze, and painterly presence, while the cut-out boards unfold a graphic directness with their clear contours and reduced areas. This creates an exhibition atmosphere where sensory perception and political reflection meet directly.
An Exhibition About Civil Courage
Francesca Albanese and Julian Assange exemplify people who, at great personal risk, stand against war crimes, human rights violations, and political abuses of power. Additional portraits broaden this panorama of civil disobedience. The curation focuses attention on the question of how individuals can initiate social change and what significance role models have for cultural education.
Cultural Education Through Personal Encounter
The exhibition invites visitors to perceive well-known names from news and contemporary history in a concentrated artwork analysis. The artistic experience emerges from the interplay of face, material, and context. Guided tours are available for groups of five or more by prior arrangement. A closing event will take place on November 26, 2026, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
Conclusion: Political Art in the Historic Town Hall
Visitors can expect a committed exhibition that bridges portrait art, social memory, and civil resistance. Those who see art as an aesthetic experience and a stimulus for discussion will find a compelling artistic experience in the EG Gallery of the Old Town Hall. The exhibition deserves a personal visit, as its themes unfold their full impact only in the direct confrontation of image, space, and viewers.
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