Jo Achermann says goodbye to the BTU with an exhibition

The public exhibition will be on display in Cottbus' Oberkirche St. Nikolai from October 15 to November 25, 2023. Opening hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily in October and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in November. Admission is free of charge.

Invited are all those who want to engage in a dialogue between church and art, building and forms, belief and unbelief.

To this end, artist Jo Achermann has explored the dimensions of height and space, interpreting form and function individually.
Prof. Jo Achermann says:"My goal is to open up and expand perspectives on the space of the church. For this purpose, I use a total of 19 panel paintings, which create the tensions by placing them in the church space. In addition, I want to initiate and promote dialogue with the institution of the church. The color panels and an 11-meter-long yellow fabric panel help me to do this. I am very curious to see how these views will work in the field of tension between space, sculpture, colors, forms and in the confrontation of the church space."

Prof. Jo Achermann held the Plastic Modelling chair (now the Fine Arts chair) from 1994 to 2023, first at BTU Cottbus and since 2013 at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. He is leaving the BTU for retirement.
In addition to his teaching activities at the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Urban Planning, Jo Achermann significantly promoted the artistic design of the university. In 1997, he founded the commission "Art and Building" (today: Art and Campus) at the BTU, which in particular worked to bring new works of art by young up-and-coming artists to the BTU. In addition, as head of the commission, it was very important to him not to forget the artworks of the predecessor institution from the GDR era. In 2018, the bilingual publication "Art and Campus" was created, which summarizes the old as well as the newly created works at the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg campuses in. Impressive photographs make the artistic work visible. The various works are explained in the book in terms of art history. They show the artistic examination of public space in the change from the GDR to the FRG and beyond. Among the topics and projects he worked on together with his students were, for example, artistic design concepts for the Senftenberg hospital or a children's play garden in Spremberg, or the installation "Clouds," which was created in 2017 on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in Wittenberg. As an artist and sculptor, he made his mark in Cottbus with projects such as "From Outside to Inside. From place to place" and exhibitions at the Dieselkraftwerk art museum.

Events in the context of the exhibition
"Aus - Klang Jo Achermann Oberkirche Formen".

Vernissage

(for invited guests and the public)
Saturday, October 14, 2023, 2 p.m.,
Oberkirche St. Nikolai, main entrance, Oberkirchplatz 1, 03046 Cottbus.

• Introduction: Jo Achermann
• Organ composition for the work "Oberkirche Formen" Peter Wingrich
• About the exhibition: Prof. Dr. Hans Friesen
• Epitaph: Reverend Dr. Uwe Weise
• Handing over of the baton: Prof. Jo Achermann - Verena Issel
• Spatial sound 1
• The interweaving of Art and Architecture: Dipl.-Ing. Irina Matei
• Space sound 2: Ma-Lou Bangerter, Anna Schubert

Guided tour through the exhibition with Jo Achermann

Wednesday, October 18, 2023, 6:00 p.m.
For all interested, no registration required, participation is free of charge.

Meeting point: main entrance of the Upper Church of St. Nikolai.

Organ composition for the work "Oberkirche Formen" by Peter Wingrich

Finissage

Saturday, November 25, 2:00 p.m.
For all interested, no registration required, participation is free of charge.

Meeting point: main entrance of the Oberkirche St. Nikolai

The exhibition "Aus - Klang Jo Achermann Oberkirche Formen" is possible with the kind support of BTU Cottbus - Senftenberg, Oberkirche St. Nikolai, GWC Cottbus and Sparkasse Spree Neiße.