15,000 visitors experience Wismut art: a success for Zwickau!

15,000 visitors experience Wismut art: a success for Zwickau!

The special show “Sun Seekers! Wismut Art and Mining” has come to a great end in the historic Zwickau cotton mill. Over 15,000 visitors were able to view the impressive works on display in this unique exhibition until October 26, 2025. The project, under the creative eye of project manager Dr. Paul Kaiser, comprised around 300 works of art on an impressive 1,600 square meters.

In “Sunseeker!” Guests were able to admire a veritable collection of paintings, graphics and even two monumental murals, which were presented to the public for the first time. The Wismut was known for mining weapons-grade uranium in the GDR - a fact that is also reflected in the thematic focus of the exhibition. In the years of its existence, the Wismut mined around 231,000 tons of uranium ore, which occupies a central place in the history of the Saxony and Thuringia region.

Part of the European Capital of Culture

The special show was not only an independent art project, but also part of the extensive program for the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025. This great project is jointly supported by the Wismut Stiftung gGmbH, the city of Zwickau, the Dresden Institute for Cultural Studies e.V. and the Kunstverein Zwickau e.V. The exhibition, which opened its doors on April 9, 2025, attracts art lovers and culture lovers alike.

The presentation of this extraordinary art collection, which with over 4,200 works by 475 artists is the largest of a GDR company, was supported by the Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung, the Sparkasse Zwickau and the Bundesstiftung Aufarbeitung.

Submitter and program

metaWERK AG provided the exhibition space free of charge, while the Kunstverein Zwickau e.V. provided staff support. The opening times of the exhibition were very visitor-friendly: Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There was a good offer for all price-conscious people: entry cost 8 euros for full-paying adults, 5 euros reduced and 15 euros for a family. The exhibition not only dealt with the art itself, but also with the profound effects of mining on people and the environment, and was enriched by an extensive accompanying program with readings, film screenings and discussions with contemporary witnesses. From May 2025, additional exciting events were offered.

Anyone who would like to have the most important works in the exhibition in written form could purchase a catalog. With 196 pages and 207 illustrations, this offers a comprehensive overview of what is shown. Published by Dr. Paul Kaiser and Dr. Julia Dünkel, the catalog was available for 15 euros in the exhibition and for 24.80 euros in bookstores.

Overall, the special show “Sun Seekers! Wismut Art and Mining” not only left a deep impression on visitors, but also made an important contribution to the European Capital of Culture. In this way, a bridge was built between art and the eventful history of mining in the region. As radiozwickau.de reports, the question remains as to how the influence of these cultural initiatives on the local art scene will develop.

In summary, it can be said that the exhibition appealed not only to art lovers but also to those interested in history and provided a unique insight into the Wismut heritage. So we can only hope that similar projects will enrich cultural life in Zwickau and beyond.