Humboldt Forum has chosen to cover two important chapters from Germany’s past. Histories of Tanzania is a collaborative exhibition that confronts the violence of German colonial rule and its consequences. Through the voices of many representatives from both Germany and Tanzania, it uncovers the impact of colonization on the people who endured it and still have to face its effects today.
Particularly impactful is the collaborative work by students in Berlin and Dar es Salaam, who investigate the traces of colonialism that are all around us. The exhibition gives a voice not only to the affected people, but also to the objects themselves. For the first time, these objects are examined in their significance beyond the colonial gaze and re-appropriated in their original form.
“Some of the objects are inextricably linked to the former reign of violence, which makes it all the more important that this impressive exhibition is the product of a truly groundbreaking form of collaboration. I hope it not only attracts a great number of visitors but also sparks debates about Europe and Africa, about the past, about responsibility — and about the future that we share in this, our only world.”
Hermann Parzinger, President of the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz
With Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic, Humboldt Forum tries to tell the story of the controversial building that once stood on its current site. The Palace of the Republic was a symbol of power and prestige for the East German government. After reunification, it hosted many cultural projects and spaces for the collective before being demolished between 2006 and 2008. Its destruction sparked a contrasting reaction — some of the citizens saw it as the erasure of an important chapter in German history, while others viewed it as a liberation from the past.
Despite its ambiguity, the Palace offers an opportunity for discussion and a critical examination of both cancel culture and identity. What shapes an identity, and how? Is erasure merely an act of the winners, or is it something more? When does the re-appropriation occur? By reflecting on what its place used to be, Humboldt Forum aims to open this debate and engage the public in it.
Double Feature: Theodoulos Polyviou is presented simultaneously at both sites of the foundation in Düsseldorf and Berlin, with the Berlin exhibition running until April 27. Theodoulos Polyviou is a Cypriot artist whose practice is based on the use of different media and technologies. A central theme of his work is examining the history of his homeland, Cyprus. Through a speculative lens, he is able to investigate the island’s historical complexities, offering fresh and thought-provoking perspectives. The ongoing division in Cyprus is addressed in an innovative way, stimulating a dialogue while steering clear of simplistic polarization.
After Images, running until April 27 as well, is a collective exhibition exploring our relationship with contemporary images. The mainstream culture has made sight our primary sense, and the exhibition wants to question this choice. Featuring artworks by various artists across multiple media, the exhibition invites us to engage with the exhibition through all our senses.
Böse Blumen (Evil Flowers) borrows its title from Charles Baudelaire’s internationally acclaimed book to explore nature through man’s eyes. After all, there are no truly “evil” flowers. Nonetheless, humanity always tried to project its own flaws onto nature. The exhibition examines the impact of Baudelaire’s imagery and aesthetics, as well as its impact on other artists and the societies in which they lived.
The representation of flowers has always evoked some kind of emotion, urging us to confront topics such as love, sex, and melancholy. But most strikingly, flowers have served as stunning metaphors for disease and decay. Throughout art history, still lifes have made us see our transience. Our projection onto them has become a shared experience across humanity. It is a powerful common ground that the exhibition explores, featuring artists from the 19th century to the present.
Paul Graham explores the topic of transience in a profoundly different way with his exhibition Verdigris at Carlier | Gebauer. The artist already covered it in the first two chapters of his trilogy. In Does Yellow Run Forever? (2010-2014), he captured intimate moments with his partner, while Mother (2018-2019) documented the final year of his mum’s life.
Verdigris marks the end of this trilogy, and does it with the same poignant and evocative approach. This time, flowers are the protagonists, captured out of focus in moments of motion. They are juxtaposed with images of people gazing into the horizon. The camera fails to capture the beauty of the flowers, mirroring the individuals as they witness the passing of their own time. The exhibition connects with the topics of the previous one, highlighting the interconnectedness between things.
Camera Work will present the exhibition Steve Shapiro: I Am Not Here starting February 15. This is the first presentation of this caliber since the artist’s passing in 2022. The selected works focus on the main theme of Shapiro’s practice: the quest for freedom in all its forms. He captured many of the civil rights movements in the US, from the Selma marches and the life of Martin Luther King to Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign. Shapiro also worked on many iconic film sets, such as The Godfather, Taxi Driver, and Apocalypse Now, and portrayed many famous artists, such as David Bowie, Andy Warhol, Muhammad Ali, and Barbra Streisand.
His work makes us question when art imitates life and when life imitates art. He tells us the stories of a time of political upheaval and of its people. At the same time, it reveals what could have been but wasn’t. By depicting historical moments that might have represented new beginnings, he shows us all the unfulfilled possibilities that came with them. His work makes us reflect on what actually changed and what could have been different.
Chert Lüdde is hosting a retrospective of artist Ruth Wolf-Rehfeldt, In the end something begins with us, until February 22. She was best known for her visual poetry and work with mail art, but her practice almost covered it all. She moved to Berlin, and experienced the political and cultural turmoil of the 20th century. When the Wall fell, she felt it was no longer time for her to make art. However, during such a turbulent period, her work covered a wide range of themes. She also worked on still lifes, connecting her to the same inquiry on transience and death found in two other exhibitions featured in this highlight.
The exhibition will also present her historical piece, Divided Planet. Originally created in the context of the Cold War, it will now be displayed in two halves, hanging on a lightbox above the gallery entrance. The new graphic configuration depicts the planet split in two, falling apart. Talking about the growing polarization in contemporary society, Divided Planet serves as a stimulus for unification. It underlines our need to come together against any form of oppression. It encourages us to act for a just, equal, and sustainable world for all.
This selection of exhibitions aims to explore humanity in all its inconsistencies and possibilities. They reveal how biased and flawed we are, yet failure gives us room to rebuild. This February’s selection of exhibitions in Berlin encourages us to question the time we live in and act through an example to shape a world based on real unity and solidarity. Don’t miss the chance to experience these powerful exhibitions in February and see where this journey takes you.
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Humboldt Forum has chosen to cover two important chapters from Germany’s past. Histories of Tanzania is a collaborative exhibition that confronts the violence of German colonial rule and its consequences. Through the voices of many representatives from both Germany and Tanzania, it uncovers the impact of colonization on the people who endured it and still have to face its effects today.
Particularly impactful is the collaborative work by students in Berlin and Dar es Salaam, who investigate the traces of colonialism that are all around us. The exhibition gives a voice not only to the affected people, but also to the objects themselves. For the first time, these objects are examined in their significance beyond the colonial gaze and re-appropriated in their original form.
“Some of the objects are inextricably linked to the former reign of violence, which makes it all the more important that this impressive exhibition is the product of a truly groundbreaking form of collaboration. I hope it not only attracts a great number of visitors but also sparks debates about Europe and Africa, about the past, about responsibility — and about the future that we share in this, our only world.”
Hermann Parzinger, President of the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz
With Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic, Humboldt Forum tries to tell the story of the controversial building that once stood on its current site. The Palace of the Republic was a symbol of power and prestige for the East German government. After reunification, it hosted many cultural projects and spaces for the collective before being demolished between 2006 and 2008. Its destruction sparked a contrasting reaction — some of the citizens saw it as the erasure of an important chapter in German history, while others viewed it as a liberation from the past.
Despite its ambiguity, the Palace offers an opportunity for discussion and a critical examination of both cancel culture and identity. What shapes an identity, and how? Is erasure merely an act of the winners, or is it something more? When does the re-appropriation occur? By reflecting on what its place used to be, Humboldt Forum aims to open this debate and engage the public in it.
Double Feature: Theodoulos Polyviou is presented simultaneously at both sites of the foundation in Düsseldorf and Berlin, with the Berlin exhibition running until April 27. Theodoulos Polyviou is a Cypriot artist whose practice is based on the use of different media and technologies. A central theme of his work is examining the history of his homeland, Cyprus. Through a speculative lens, he is able to investigate the island’s historical complexities, offering fresh and thought-provoking perspectives. The ongoing division in Cyprus is addressed in an innovative way, stimulating a dialogue while steering clear of simplistic polarization.
After Images, running until April 27 as well, is a collective exhibition exploring our relationship with contemporary images. The mainstream culture has made sight our primary sense, and the exhibition wants to question this choice. Featuring artworks by various artists across multiple media, the exhibition invites us to engage with the exhibition through all our senses.
Böse Blumen (Evil Flowers) borrows its title from Charles Baudelaire’s internationally acclaimed book to explore nature through man’s eyes. After all, there are no truly “evil” flowers. Nonetheless, humanity always tried to project its own flaws onto nature. The exhibition examines the impact of Baudelaire’s imagery and aesthetics, as well as its impact on other artists and the societies in which they lived.
The representation of flowers has always evoked some kind of emotion, urging us to confront topics such as love, sex, and melancholy. But most strikingly, flowers have served as stunning metaphors for disease and decay. Throughout art history, still lifes have made us see our transience. Our projection onto them has become a shared experience across humanity. It is a powerful common ground that the exhibition explores, featuring artists from the 19th century to the present.
Paul Graham explores the topic of transience in a profoundly different way with his exhibition Verdigris at Carlier | Gebauer. The artist already covered it in the first two chapters of his trilogy. In Does Yellow Run Forever? (2010-2014), he captured intimate moments with his partner, while Mother (2018-2019) documented the final year of his mum’s life.
Verdigris marks the end of this trilogy, and does it with the same poignant and evocative approach. This time, flowers are the protagonists, captured out of focus in moments of motion. They are juxtaposed with images of people gazing into the horizon. The camera fails to capture the beauty of the flowers, mirroring the individuals as they witness the passing of their own time. The exhibition connects with the topics of the previous one, highlighting the interconnectedness between things.
Camera Work will present the exhibition Steve Shapiro: I Am Not Here starting February 15. This is the first presentation of this caliber since the artist’s passing in 2022. The selected works focus on the main theme of Shapiro’s practice: the quest for freedom in all its forms. He captured many of the civil rights movements in the US, from the Selma marches and the life of Martin Luther King to Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign. Shapiro also worked on many iconic film sets, such as The Godfather, Taxi Driver, and Apocalypse Now, and portrayed many famous artists, such as David Bowie, Andy Warhol, Muhammad Ali, and Barbra Streisand.
His work makes us question when art imitates life and when life imitates art. He tells us the stories of a time of political upheaval and of its people. At the same time, it reveals what could have been but wasn’t. By depicting historical moments that might have represented new beginnings, he shows us all the unfulfilled possibilities that came with them. His work makes us reflect on what actually changed and what could have been different.
Chert Lüdde is hosting a retrospective of artist Ruth Wolf-Rehfeldt, In the end something begins with us, until February 22. She was best known for her visual poetry and work with mail art, but her practice almost covered it all. She moved to Berlin, and experienced the political and cultural turmoil of the 20th century. When the Wall fell, she felt it was no longer time for her to make art. However, during such a turbulent period, her work covered a wide range of themes. She also worked on still lifes, connecting her to the same inquiry on transience and death found in two other exhibitions featured in this highlight.
The exhibition will also present her historical piece, Divided Planet. Originally created in the context of the Cold War, it will now be displayed in two halves, hanging on a lightbox above the gallery entrance. The new graphic configuration depicts the planet split in two, falling apart. Talking about the growing polarization in contemporary society, Divided Planet serves as a stimulus for unification. It underlines our need to come together against any form of oppression. It encourages us to act for a just, equal, and sustainable world for all.
This selection of exhibitions aims to explore humanity in all its inconsistencies and possibilities. They reveal how biased and flawed we are, yet failure gives us room to rebuild. This February’s selection of exhibitions in Berlin encourages us to question the time we live in and act through an example to shape a world based on real unity and solidarity. Don’t miss the chance to experience these powerful exhibitions in February and see where this journey takes you.
Related Articles: