To celebrate William Kentridge’s 70th birthday, the Dresden State Art Collections (SKD) and the Museum Folkwang in Essen are dedicating a major collaborative project entitled ‘Listen to the Echo’ to the internationally acclaimed South African artist. Held at three locations across Dresden, the presentations offer profound insights into his complex, cross-genre works.
The festival started on the 5th of September 2025 with a performative procession through Dresden’s old town. Developed by Kentridge in collaboration with the ‘Centre for the Less Good Idea’ in Johannesburg – which he himself established – the ‘Foot Power’ procession was led by artists from the Centre alongside many local actors, concluding with a shadow play on the banks of the Elbe River. Under the beam of spotlights, the shadows cast by silhouettes onto the walls of Brühl’s Terrace also nod to one of the city’s cultural landmarks: the ‘Procession of Princes’, completed in 1876 and located on the outer wall of the Stallhof on Schlossplatz. The 101-metre-long mural made from elaborately painted Meissen porcelain tiles depicts the history of the House of Wettin – the Saxon ruling dynasty – as a larger-than-life cavalcade.
Procession as an Art Form
The performance used the visual and political importance of the procession as an artistic motif – a form of expression that is repeated in Kentridge’s drawings, films and installations. In Dresden, it evolved into a collective act of art that invited public participation and will long be remembered in the city.
An Artist Traversing Picture and Movement
Choreographed movement as a form of creative expression also features on the programme at the Albertinum in Dresden. Here, Kentridge’s main opus, “More Sweetly Play the Dance”, a cinematic procession of heroes and outsiders evoking at once a parade and the Dance of Death, is presented alongside the historical ‘Procession of Princes’.
The large preliminary drawings of the ‘Procession of Princes’, dating from 1869 to 1876, have been restored for the exhibition and are now on display to the public for the first time ever. Using it as a backdrop, Kentridge’s modern video installation presents an exciting dialogue between different time periods, art forms and perspectives.
The exhibition in the Dresden Kupferstich-Kabinett also connects Kentridge’s theme of the procession with the electoral collections. By the artist’s own request, the Kupferstich-Kabinett in the Dresden Royal Palace is dedicated to his graphic works. The ‘Centre for the Less Good Idea’ is also curating the 2025/2026 iteration of the annual Puppet Theatre Collection exhibition at Kraftwerk Mitte.
“With ‘Listen to the Echo’, we are honouring the world-famous artist across three locations in Dresden,” says General Director of the Dresden State Art Collections Dr Bernd Ebert. “The exhibitions in the Albertinum, the Kupferstich-Kabinett, as well as the Puppet Theatre Collection together allow the eponymous echo to resonate far beyond the city’s borders. The procession, a central motif in Kentridge’s work, becomes an expression of his critical attitude towards colonialism, the culture of remembrance and his unwavering advocacy in favour of human rights. A project of this size requires powerful partners. We would like to thank A. Lange & Söhne for the generous support they have shown since our partnership began in 2006, and for their clear commitment to cultural engagement in our homeland of Saxony.”
“We would like to thank the Dresden State Art Collections for bringing William Kentridge’s monumental work to life in our state capital,” reflects Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid. “Dresden was and still is an important cradle of art, craftsmanship and progress. Inspired by traditional craftsmanship, Kentridge’s work is defined by innovative forms of expression and the courage to forge his own path and transcend boundaries in the process. We at A. Lange & Söhne share this ambition, staying true to our motto to never stand still.”
Exhibition dates:
William Kentridge. Listen to the Echo
6 September 2025 – 4 January 2026 | Albertinum
6 September 2025 – 15 February 2026 | Kupferstich-Kabinett, Dresden Royal Palace
6 September 2025 – 28 June 2026 | Puppet Theatre Collection, Kraftwerk Mitte
