We would like to invite you to the first public event of the project Decolonial Memorial at the Berlin Global Village on October 31st 2023 at 4pm: a large thematic symposium around decolonization and art. There will be exciting discussion panels, a live painting, performances and much more. We hope you will come by!

Berlin Global Village has launched the art competition for the “Decolonial Memorial” in March. This involves an open, anonymous and worldwide art competition to realize a decolonial memorial – an artistic work that addresses decolonization. The artwork will be completed by fall 2024 and will be permanently installed in a highly visible location between or in front of the two buildings of the Berlin Global Village.

The call for entries attracted 244 artists around the world to make designs and submit concepts. In a two day session the jury was able to reduce the number of contestants by selecting 20 submissions in September. With the contest launched into the next phase the time has finally come: The project Decolonial Memorial can present itself to the public.

The symposium is concerned with questions of decolonization and art related to the Decolonial Memorial from different perspectives and approaches. With greetings from Claudia Roth and Joe Chialo, a keynote by Gary Stewart, a discussion on “Art of the Global South in German Exhibition Spaces”, live painting, performances and much more, we would like to come together and offer an insight into and exchange about the project.

The program of the Symposium on October 31st 2023 in detail:

16-17 h Introduction (Miriam Makeba Saal, Berlin Global Village)
Welcome address
Armin Massing, Berlin Global Village, Managing Director
Words of greetings from the patrons
Claudia Roth, Minister of State for Culture and Media
Joe Chialo, Senator for Culture and Social Cohesion (video message)
Introduction Decolonial Memorial
Michael Küppers-Adebisi, Berlin Global Village Diversity Officer
Keynote
Gary Stewart, Queen Mary University London

17-18 h Guided tour, Opening of accompanying programs
Live Painting: Rafaella Braga
Film program SET IN STONE: FOUR POSITIONS ON HISTORY, ITS MONUMENTS AND THEIR AFTERLIVES”, Nnenna Onuoha, curator, in cooperation with Barazani
Exhibition: Who works in the Berlin Global Village

18:15-19:15 h Panel “Art of the Global South in German Exhibition Spaces. Development, conditions, hope”
Ibou Diop, Foundation City Museum Berlin
Dr. Matthias Henkel, Museum Neukölln
hn. lyonga, Gropius Bau Berlin (Neighbour in Residence)
Monilola Olayemi Ilupeju, independent artist
Sylbee Kim, Board of directors berufsverband bildender künstler*innen berlin

19:30-20:00 h Dance meets Opera meets Memory Performance
VOICE MFA Kera, Kameron Locke, DANCE Thomyas and Anita Castro, COMPOSITION Julia Kny

20:00-21:00 h DJ Set DJ Prince (M.I.K) (Afrika Yetu)