Artist Marlene Dumas has been commissioned to paint an altarpiece for St Anne’s Church in Freiberger Platz, Dresden, replacing the current work, which was damaged in WWII.  “They are giving me a lot of freedom. I can choose the form. The theme is also open,” Dumas says.  “The only ‘restriction’ is that [my painting] should not be too depressing. It should offer some hope.” (more…)

Georg Baselitz is profiled in The Telegraph this week, as the artist prepares for three concurrent shows in London over the next few months.  Speaking the anniversary of the bombing of his hometown, Dresden, Baselitz reflects on how the violence of World War II found its way into his art: “the degree of destruction I’ve seen, which I’ve been surrounded by, is no longer comprehensible. It was so radical, so absolute. Today you’d ask: how could it even happen? But that was my time.” (more…)