Art as a bearer of hope – Finissage in Groß Jehser
“In today’s life, the world belongs to the stupid alone!” (Fernando Pessoa)
An exhibition by Calau and Leipzig-based artist Katrin Meißner, which lasted several months, ended with a record number of visitors: over 100 visitors found their way to Groß Jehser Schloss, welcomed by the owners Siegfried Kühn and Irma Kühn-Grefte. Katrin Meißner exhibited her works “Sequences” on one of the castle floors. It was by no means an obligatory closing event, but an art event of a very special kind, with very special artists. Siegfried Kühn had used his contacts in the art scene and was able to engage colleagues for the event, which he staged: the well-known actor Christian Steyer slipped into the role of the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa (18888 – 1935) and let him philosophize about art while looking at Meissner’s works: “Art is the most pleasant way to ignore or even endure life, a life that is determined by stupid people.” Steyer was accompanied by ten-year-old Lotta Reischel. The child from the castle neighborhood “floated” by his side as a hope-spreading angel, accompanied on the saxophone by Mia Reischel (13).
Gloom and hope stand side by side – just like Katrin Meißner’s works, mostly in dark tones, often painted in charcoal, ash and water, depicting something new from something old. Katrin Meißner at the end of the day: “I experienced a great deal of appreciation. Many visitors were already there at the opening, they deepened their impressions and came from many parts of the country. It gives me great satisfaction when I was able to make people think with my art.”
Another highlight was a piano concert by Ronny Kaufhold at the end of the day in the castle’s salon by a flickering open fire. The pianist crowned the afternoon with a very special artistic treat. He played works by Bach, Chopin and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” on the Blüthner grand piano masterfully and without notes – fittingly at the end of the first art exhibition in Groß Jehser Castle.(more about the recent history of the castle)
Visitor Elke Zwicker from Göritz: “It was a wonderful exhibition by the artist Katrin Meissner. I was very impressed by the variety and depth of her works. Great art in the wonderful rooms of the manor house, which have been preserved in their original state. I was impressed by the artist’s ability to convey such a wide range of emotions and ideas using different techniques and materials. The concert that followed was also a wonderful experience. It was fascinating to see and hear the effortlessness and precision with which the music was played. I was also impressed by the way he conveyed the emotions of the piece “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky. It was extraordinary.”
Irma Kühn-Grefte thanked all the artists and the many guests and announced that further exhibitions of this kind are planned. “We have a large number of excellent artists in our region who belong on the stage, which we would also like to give them. Despite all the changes, Lower Lusatia is also an ever-growing place of the arts – we would like to prove it: Groß Jehser will become a byword for art!”
Peter Becker, 31.12.25
