Karl Hans Janke – The Insane Genius

Karl Hans (Joachim) Janke spent decades of his life in psychiatric clinics after being diagnosed as schizophrenic shortly following World War II. By the time he died at the Hubertusburg psychiatric ward in 1988, he had made thousands of drawings and models of mostly flying objects out of various everyday materials which he had found at the clinic. The exhibition at the Saxon Hubertusburg Hospital near Wermsdorf, where Janke had created these pieces, provided a view of his extensive legacy which is both artistically and medically extraordinary. In cooperation with local schools, the project teached students about the artist's life and medical history, so that they can better understand the context of his works.

Curator: Dirk Petzold
Artist: Karl Hans Jahnke
Venue: Castle Hubertusburg, Wermsdorf
Schedule: August 2006 - July 2007