When ideologies become form: in his sculptures, paintings and installations the young Leipzig-based artist Tilo Schulz reflects on a political conflict which crucially determined art in the second half of the 20th century.

When ideologies become form: in his sculptures, paintings and installations the young Leipzig-based artist Tilo Schulz reflects on a political conflict which crucially determined art in the second half of the 20th century. As a counterdraft to western formalism, socialist realism was supposed to open new perspectives for art as well as for society. Affecting society by means of art – this modernist utopia linked both seemingly contrary styles. Accompanying the exhibition in Leipzig’s GfZK (Gallery for Contemporary Art), this publication presents artwork by Tilo Schulz on this topic. Additionally, essays discuss the functionalisation of art on both sides of the Iron Curtain and its meaning for the present. In an extensive interview, the artist reflects upon the background of his works and the process of creating them. FORMSCHÖN is like a well directed film: challenging both visually and intellectually.