Time Leaps in China: An Artistic Retrospective of Three Journeys in 1993, 2014, and 2019

On November 6, 2025, the lecture “Time Leaps – Three Journeys to China by the Artist Eva Koethen” captivated our audience.
Prof. Dr. Eva Koethen took guests on a fascinating journey through time and place, sharing her experiences in China – from Xi’an to Zhangjiajie, from art to culture. Moderated by Dr. Meng Schmidt-Yin, the evening sparked inspiring conversations about art, transformation, and intercultural dialogue.
Through compelling works such as “Face Landscapes in the Chinese Working World” and “Hommage to the Landscapes of Zhangjiajie,” Prof. Koethen demonstrated how art can build bridges between China and Germany.
An evening filled with exchange, inspiration, and enthusiastic applause!

1993 – Face Landscape
During a visit to a brick factory, I was fascinated by a piece of material set aside from the rest, which appeared to me as a Chinese face and evolved into my first sculpture. This marked the beginning of an imaginative series of faces—initially created from stones, reminiscent of the well-known landscape scenes in Chinese scholars’ collections, and later from a variety of everyday materials.

2014 – Marks of Berlin 1–3
Marks of Berlin 1–3 were assembled specifically for the Museum of the Ancient Chinese Imperial City of Xi’an and focused attention on the landmarks of Germany’s new capital. From today’s perspective, these photographic spaces once again invite viewers to set their symbolic presence in motion and to discover the many subtle and profound changes over time.

2019 – Hommage to the Zhangjiajie Mountains
Hommage to the Zhangjiajie Mountains forms a photographic frame around a mountain relief made of wood, stone, brick, and plastic materials. This unusual arrangement contrasts China’s traditional bond with nature with its growing reverence for technology. Engineering achievements—such as the impressive elevator ascending a steep mountain ridge—open up remote mountain ranges to people and transform their perception of these fantastical landscapes.

Link to the curator (PDF Download)