STATE ART COLLECTION

Lighting design for SKD – Art in the service of power

For the major special exhibition “Art in the Service of Power – at the Imperial Court of China and at the Saxon-Polish Court 1644–1795” in the Dresden State Art Collections (SKD), Fischer & Partner developed a lighting concept that is closely aligned with the scenographic structure of GMP Architects – Gerkan, Marg and Partners.

The exhibition shows how art, ceremony and staging were used as instruments of power – visually, materially and spatially – at two of the most important courts of the early modern period.

The lighting design follows this historical and spatial dramaturgy with a finely tuned interplay of: – Neutral white background light for objective clarity and material legibility – Warm white accents that add atmosphere to ritualistic scenes and representational stagings – Invisible, directional lighting that supports visual hierarchies, lines of sight, and symbolic spatial effects

Light becomes a medium of political gesture – and a silent architecture of power.

The lighting technology was integrated into the temporary architecture – discreetly, modularly, and with conservation precision. Exhibits made of porcelain, lacquer, textiles, gold, and paintings enter the space with clarity, tangible materiality, and dignity.

Description of services: Lighting planning, conception and installation

Architect: gmp Architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners

Client: Dresden State Art Collection

Exhibition area: 1,200 m²

Photos: Baldauf & Baldauf Photography