Program
Works of Art as (Future) Archives
Akademie der Künste Pariser Platz 4,
10117 Berlin
English
With: Fogha Mc Cornilius Refem and Jeanne-Ange Wagne
Museum archives in Europe play a central role in colonial provenance research. However, in most cases, the files, letters, and inventory books stored in said archives have yet to be completely digitized, thereby forcing researchers and interested parties to examination and use on site. This represents a barrier to access. However, works of art may theoretically function as archives. During the focus tour, we therefore want to venture together, without any claim to scientific accuracy or completeness, into an almost utopian thought experiment: In what capacity can works of art and objects complement or even replace museum archives in the future as information carriers and memory storages?
Fogha Mc Cornilius Refem a Cameroonian, a conflict researcher, a student, a learner, and a self-described drapetomenia “patient,” from which he does not want to be cured. The academic nomad with backgrounds in Sociology, International Relations, and Social Work and will continue this journey later this year as a Ph.D. candidate at the Potsdam University’s RTG Minor-cosmopolitanisms program. He is an HIA Senior Fellow from the 2021 program. His research interests include decolonial thought, subaltern studies, Black empowerment, and critical museum studies.
Jeanne-Ange Wagne is a Cameroonian-diasporic art historian and creative whose theoretical research and lopractice of art education are oriented towards necessary questions of social justice, solidarity and self-determination. Currently, she is critically examining Western historiography in particular, addressing colonial entanglements that affect cultural and educational institutions.
Focus tours are a mix between public tour and workshop. They are free of charge and are organized by the Berlin Biennale educational team.
Registration is only possible via mediation@berlinbiennale.de. The number of participants is limited. Participation is only possible with a confirmation email.