New Leipzig School

A contested term referring to the generation of artists that studied at the Art Academy in Leipzig, Germany, and emerged during the post-reunification climate in the 1990s. Championed by dealer Gerd Harry Lybke, these artists can be loosely group together by a dedication to technical skill and figuration to depict the visual, economic, and social contrasts within the former East. Neo Rauch is one of the most famous artists to emerge from the school; his highly skilled, enigmatic scenes oppose the clear narrative or message dictated by the official style of Socialist Realism.