Peter Sylvester was born in Saalfeld (Thuringia) in 1937. From 1951 to 1954, he completed an apprenticeship as a process engraver. In 1958, he moved to Leipzig, where he attended the evening academy of the Academy of Fine Arts in Leipzig. His painting remained self-taught. Since 1964, Sylvester worked as a freelance artist in Leipzig and later became a member of the Association of Visual Artists of the GDR. Together with other Leipzig artists, he founded the Leipziger Grafikbörse in 1972. It was the first association of artists without jury and thus censorship in the GDR and is still active today. Sylvester took over the direction and became chairman. Study trips brought him to France, Italy, Dalmatia and Central Asia. In 1974, he was awarded the medal of the 5th International Graphic Art Biennale in Krakow. In 1987, he received the Art Prize of the City of Leipzig. Sylvester died in Leipzig in 2007.

Trak Wendisch was born in Berlin in 1958. From 1977 to 1982, he studied painting and graphic art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Leipzig under Dietrich Burger and Bernhard Heisig. After his studies, he worked as a freelance artist and in 1985 was further master student at the University of Fine Arts Dresden under Gerhard Kettner. This was followed by residencies and projects in Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico and Venezuela. Wendisch lives and works in Berlin.

Manfred Böttcher was born in Oberdorla, Thuringia, in 1933. From 1950 to 1955, he studied at the University of Fine Arts in Dresden under Wilhelm Lachnit and Heinz Lohmar, among others. He continued his education as a master student at the Academy of Arts in Berlin under Heinrich Ehmsen. He worked as an artist in Berlin from 1961 onwards. Böttcher died in Berlin in 2001.  

Stefan Reichmann was born in 1951 in Rübenau, Erzgebirge. In 1973, he moved to East Berlin and began studies at the University of the Arts in 1976. Since 1981, he has been working as a freelance sculptor in Berlin. From 1986 to 1988, he was a masterstudent at the Academy of Arts of the GDR under the guidance of Werner Stötzer. He lives and works in Berlin and Brandenburg.

Johannes Peschel was born on June 2nd 1931, in Kamenz. He began his training in his father’s stone masonry business and apprenticed with Werner Hempel in Dresden. From 1953 to 1958, he studied at the Dresden University of Fine Arts. Since 1959, he has worked as a freelance sculptor, creating works in stone that range from small sculptures to large objects.

Helmut Heinze was born in Mulda in 1932 and grew up in Dresden. In 1950 he began studying at the Dresden University of Fine Arts, which he interrupted to train as a stone sculptor. During this time he also worked on restoration projects. After receiving his diploma in 1957, he became a freelance artist in Radebeul. He received a teaching position at the Technical University of Dresden and became a lecturer in architecture in 1969. In 1979 he became professor of sculpture at the Dresden University of Fine Arts. After his retirement in 1997, he moved to Kreischa in 1998, where he continues to live and work.

Markus Schaller was born in Hof an der Saale, Germany, in 1967. At the age of 18, he moved to Berlin to become a writer. In the years 1987-88, he worked in the Tyslander Press print shop with Felix Martin Furtwängler, where he also discovered his interest in visual arts. Between 1988 and 1994, he studied under Rebecca Horn at the University of the Arts. He founded the first cooperative gallery in Berlin-Mitte in 1991. He was represented at the Venice Biennale in 1997 and the Sculpture Biennale in Vancouver in 2006. Schaller lives and works in Berlin.

Klaus Zolondowski was born in Waltrop in 1951. He completed training as a chemical laboratory assistant and shortly thereafter moved to Berlin, where he studied chemistry at the Free University from 1975. From 1985, he studied fine arts at the University of the Arts Berlin under Kuno Gonschior. Since 1991, he has been working as an independent artist. From 2002 to 2007, he worked at the cooperative gallery ICON in Berlin-Mitte. From 2007 to 2017, he was a teacher at the Academy for Painting. Zolondowski lives and works in Berlin.

August Zimmermann was born in Aachen in 1956 and has lived in Berlin since 1985.

Karsten Wittke was born in Wuppertal in 1958. From 1977 to 1978, he worked as a workshop intern as a machinist, carpenter, and technical draftsman in Schweinfurt, where he also completed his civilian service in the following years. From 1980 to 1996, he studied art at the University of the Arts in Berlin under Prof. Marwan. In 1989, he received the PS1 scholarship for a study stay in New York. Wittke lives and works in Baruth/Mark.