In 1950, the obligatory participation of visual artists in state building measures at home and abroad was decreed in the German Bundestag as well as in the parliament of the GDR. Over a period of 70 years, numerous artworks that reflect the politics, society, and architecture as well as the tasks of institutions have been created. The book sheds light on the significance and potentials of building-related art for state authorities and institutions, research institutes, military facilities, and German representation around the world. It discusses its specific aspects, like the creation of the works, as well as their maintenance and preservation, and elucidates how close building-related art can be to day-to-day life-as inspiration, statement, and national visiting card that adds value to architecture.

Building-related art commissioned by the state brings politics, society, architecture, and urban design together in a unique way. In the German Democratic Republic (GDR), it was initially given the function of propagating political contents and idealized images of society. Artists increasingly emancipated themselves from government guidelines and developed their own forms of expression in interplay with their surroundings. Until today, many people identify numerous artworks with their home country. The publication documents the symposium "Building-related Art in the German Democratic Republic" on the occasion of the anniversary "seventy years of building-related art in Germany" in 2020. Renowned experts examine building-related art in the GDR from the perspective of aesthetics and contents and discuss this internationally unique stock of artworks in detail.