When does the exhibition The Grand Inquisitor take place?

The exhibition is on November 5, 2026, at 12 PM in the Villa Rosenthal Jena.

Where does the exhibition take place?

The venue is the Villa Rosenthal Jena at Mälzerstraße 11, 07745 Jena.

What is the admission fee?

Admission to the exhibition is free.

Which artist is in focus?

The focus is on Bettina Schünemann's 40-piece work series The Grand Inquisitor from 1990.

What materials does Bettina Schünemann use?

The works combine paper, wallpaper, printed forms, and newspaper papers with gouache, watercolor paints, wax crayons, and pencils.

Are there guided tours or workshops?

No guided tours or workshops are scheduled for the indicated date.

The Grand Inquisitor: When Dostoevsky's Freedom Becomes Visible in Images

Name: Word Worlds|Image Worlds: The Grand Inquisitor
Start: 2026-11-05T12:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-05T13:00:00+01:00
Location: Villa Rosenthal Jena

Freedom or Authority? Bettina Schünemann's Images after Dostoevsky

In the Villa Rosenthal Jena, literature and visual art meet in the exhibition Word Worlds|Image Worlds: The Grand Inquisitor. At its center is Bettina Schünemann's 40-piece work series from 1990, which interprets Fyodor Dostoevsky's famous literary figure as an intense study of power, faith, and human freedom.

A literary material becomes a visual psychogram

Fyodor Dostoevsky's Grand Inquisitor embodies the contradiction between personal freedom and the need for security, order, and authority. Schünemann focuses her image series on the head of the authoritarian ruler. The gaze thus directly addresses expression, physiognomy, and inner tension.

The exhibition leads into a psychologically charged image world in which literary source and independent artistic interpretation merge. The examination of the works raises questions about responsibility, seduction by power, and the societal significance of freedom.

Collage, Gouache, and Watercolor as a Multifaceted Visual Language

Bettina Schünemann uses paper, wallpaper, printed forms, and newspaper papers as the image carrier. The materials are carefully collaged and combined with gouache and watercolor paints, wax crayons, and pencils. This technique creates a tactile and visually varied surface.

The different papers carry traces of everyday life, administration, and public communication into the painting. Between printed information and painterly revision, a visual language develops that makes the Grand Inquisitor readable not only as a literary figure but also as a symbol of authoritarian thinking.

Aesthetic Experience and Political Relevance

The exhibition atmosphere thrives on the concentrated depiction of the human head. Forms, lines, color layers, and collaged fragments condense into an intense visual experience. The reduced choice of motifs directs attention to psychological nuances and the tension between external control and inner doubt.

Thus, the exhibition connects art historical reflection with cultural education. The question of whether humanity is capable of freedom or yearns for authority remains a relevant issue in light of societal and political developments. Schünemann's work series invites viewers to engage with Dostoevsky's thoughts not only by reading them but also through an immediate aesthetic experience.

Conclusion: An Exhibition Between Literature, Art, and the Present

Visitors can expect a focused art experience on freedom, power, and the psychological mechanisms of authoritarian rule. The combination of literary material, collage, painting, and political interpretation makes the exhibition an intense place of work examination. Those who see art as a space for critical thought and aesthetic experience should experience this presentation live at the Villa Rosenthal Jena.