Friedrich Kracht (1925-2007) was closely associated with Dresden from 1951. Born in Bochum, the artist initially studied in Dortmund and Weimar before settling in Dresden. After completing his studies in 1953, there was a break in his work: Kracht left portraits and figurative representations behind and, inspired by the ideas of the Bauhaus, devoted himself entirely to Concrete Art. It played a subordinate role in the GDR, but Kracht was able to take part in international exhibitions, especially from the 1980s onwards, and develop into an established voice. He would have been 100 years old this year. To mark the occasion, from June 21 to September 7, the Leonhardi Museum in Dresden is hosting the exhibition Friedrich Kracht. The vernissage will take place on June 20 with introductory words by art historian Dr. Teresa Ende.
Together with Karl-Heinz Adler (1927-2018), Kracht founded the artists' cooperative »Kunst am Bau« in 1960 in order to contribute to the development of a new society. Graphic artists, painters, architects and sculptors were to develop joint concepts here. In this context, Kracht is also known for designing fountains, for example at Neustädter Markt in Dresden, and playground equipment for children, which were widely used in the GDR. Together with Adler, Kracht also developed the serial concrete block system in the early 1970s: 12 predetermined shapes cast in concrete, combining squares and circular elements, could also be combined in a variety of ways to create ornamental designs for walls, for example. A catalog raisonné of their works was compiled in 2023/2024.
