The decolonial memorial EarthNest by The Lockward Collective honors formerly colonized peoples and serves as a space for healing and connection. Designed to bring together diverse communities, it houses jars filled with soil from former German colonies and beyond. Through a series of interviews and shared stories, the memorial becomes a gathering place for memories that have been fragmented by colonial erasure. You can listen to these audio stories below.
Credits:
EarthNest is an artistic project by The Lockward Collective (Jeannette Ehlers, patricia kaersenhout and advisor Rolando Vázquez)
Architects: Les Choses Bentler & Eckhardt, Leipzig
Production Manager: Elena Quintarelli
The Jars are produced by Omar Fabian, Casa Negra, Oaxaca Mexico
The Sonic Memorials interviews were conducted by Billy Fowo
Editor: Manuela García Aldana
The Interview with Ewald Uazuvara Kapombo Katjivena was conducted and edited by Eunice Nanzala Schumacher
Technical support (story 1): Naima Hassan
Mixing/ editing (stories 1-4): Manuela Garcia Ald
Name: Akinola Famson
Job / Position: Board Member Afrika-Rat Berlin Brandenburg e.V.
Location: Berlin - Germany
In this conversation, Akinola Famson speaks of Berlin Global Village (BGV), the importance of critically engaging with Germany's colonial history and the role a decolonial memorial could play in Berlin.
Name: Lisa Hilli
Job / Position: Artist, Researcher and Curator
Location: Naarm Melbourne - Australia
In this conversation, Lisa Hilli delves into the history and establishment of German maritime infrastructures in the Pacific, highlighting the impacts of German colonialism in the region, and particularly on the Melanasian people.
Name: Masimba Hwati
Job / Position: Artist and Researcher
Location: Vienna - Austria
In this conversation, Masimba Hwati shares his ongoing research on the relationship between human and non-human entities. Approaching it from a Shoona perspective, Masimba elaborates on how human and animate qualities can be ascribed to all matter such as soil.
Name: Ye Charlotte Ming
Job / Position: Journalist, Writer and Artist
Location: Berlin - Germany
In this story, Ye Charlotte Ming takes us on an anti-racist walk exploring the traces of Germany’s colonial past in Berlin’s urban spaces, focusing on the lesser-known history of German colonialism in China.
The piece presented here is just an excerpt. To find more about the complete walk please visit the following link: https://bildungsnetzwerk-china.de/angebot/erinnern-der-audiowalk.html
Name: Ewald Uazuvara Kapombo Katjivena
Job / Position: Linguist, Filmmaker and Broadcaster
Location: Oslo - Norway
In this conversation, Ewald Uazuvara Kapombo Katjivena shares a deeply personal narrative that intertwines family history, cultural identity, and the resilient spirit of Namibia. Through the vivid recollections of his grandmother, Mama Pene, Ewald recounts the harrowing experience of narrowly escaping German soldiers during Namibia's genocide.