On February 18th, Belongings conducted an academically enriching visit at the GRASSI Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Leipzig. The day began with a guided tour of the special exhibition “Formen der Anpassung – Kunsthandwerk und Design im Nationalsozialismus”, led by Dr. Stefanie Seeberg. The exhibition explored how craft and design were shaped by politics during the National Socialist era, presenting over 400 objects from everyday items to elaborate pieces. Dr. Seeberg guided the doctoral researchers through the collection, showing both the state’s influence and how designers and artisans navigated these constraints. The tour offered a nuanced perspective on the aesthetic, social, and political roles of these objects and the GRASSI Museum’s complex position in this period.
Guided tour with Dr. Stefanie Seeberg
Photo by Mia Schröder
The main highlight of the day was the public lecture “Secrets of Heroines” by Ya’ara Keydar, presenting her exhibition “Heroines: Fashion and Hope in World War II”, currently on view at the Design Museum Holon. Keydar shared her thoughts and experiences in exhibition curation and recounted emotionally moving stories and remarkable personalities she encountered during her research. She described the challenges of creating a fashion exhibition during wartime Israel and illustrated how small discoveries — such as a tiny thimble — inspired parts of the exhibition. The lecture combined scholarly insight with compelling storytelling, captivating the audience and inviting reflection on resilience, creativity, and hope.
Liraz Cohen Mordechai introduding Ya’ara Keydar
Photo by Mia Schröder
The day concluded with a panel discussion, moderated by Belongings doctoral researcher Liraz Cohen Mordechai, in which Keydar and Seeberg discussed similarities and differences in their curatorial approaches. The audience engaged actively, asking questions and reflecting on both the practical and intellectual aspects of exhibition-making.
Panel discussion with Ya’ara Keydar, Dr. Stefanie Seeberg, Liraz Cohen Mordechai
Photo by Mia Schröder
Overall, the event offered a rich combination of scholarly insight and curatorial expertise, highlighting the expertise of both Dr. Stefanie Seeberg and Ya’ara Keydar, and showing how exhibitions can illuminate history, evoke empathy, and inspire reflection on human resilience and creativity.
Text by Mia Schröder & Nicoletta de Pinto