Video

Tan Bahar aka DJ Cut'Em T. and cultural scientist Verda Kaya look back at youth culture in Berlin-Kreuzberg in the 1980s and 1990s. In particular, they look at the first bands with Turkish-language songs at the Hip hop station in BERLIN GLOBAL.

How entangled is Berlin with colonial history really? And how is this legacy dealt with today? Because the traces of German colonial history can still be found everywhere in Berlin today. In the PERSPEKTIVRAUM series, BERLIN GLOBAL invites experts and activists, critics and friends of the exhibition to share their perspectives on selected topics in order to enter into conversation and enrich current discourses and debates.

What we see, but also how people are talked about, shapes our view of the world. The media can help break down stereotypes. But often they do the opposite. Does the pleasure of some mean the exclusion of others, and why are we not further along today?

The “Boundaries” room of the BERLIN GLOBAL exhibition makes boundaries literally visible. An illuminated map on the floor shows Berlin’s roads and waterways. Tall glass cases containing remarkable historical objects stand on the map, indicating the boundaries that surrounded, divided and were determined in Berlin in the past. The map is also surrounded by media stations in the form of surveying equipment. For Polish Berliner Dorota Kott, the room has a special significance.

Originating in the Bronx in New York City, the musical genre hip hop would also play an important role in Berlin in the 1980s and 1990s – both in the West and in the East. While German-Turkish youths developed the genre in West Berlin youth centres, hip hop in East Berlin became a means for musicians to seek free spaces against the backdrop of the GDR regime.

In the film "Entertain Berlin", Black filmmaker Jermain Raffington speaks with other Black Germans about the past, present and future of identity and racism in Germany. The film can be found in the “Entertainment” room of BERLIN GLOBAL.

Henri Vogel is a transgender religious and cultural scholar and activist who lives with his husband and cat in Berlin. In this video, Henri presents an extraordinary object in the “Free Space” room.

Located between the “Entertainment” and “War” rooms of the BERLIN GLOBAL exhibition, the “Exile Wall” features the signatures of numerous artists and cultural figures of the 20th century. They include Marlene Dietrich (1901 - 1992), Kurt Weill (1900 - 1950), Tilla Durieux (1880 - 1971) and Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956), among others, all of whom were forced to flee Nazi Germany.

In this clip, Vanessa Hoffmann shows us her perspective on the Berlin club culture. She was born in Berlin, she is 22 years old and lives and studies in her hometown.

In this clip, Mohamad Khalil shows us the last remaining original piece from the Brandenburg Gate’s Quadriga, which was designed by Johann Gottfried Schadow in 1789. Mohamad has been a tour guide in the Neukölln district since February 2017. On his tours, he explains how multifaceted Berlin is and how it can be a welcoming home for anyone.

In this clip, Lutz Pepping shows us the Wilsnacker bell in the Märkischen Museum’s Great Hall. He is a freelance art and culture guide and works for the Stadtmuseum Berlin, among other places.

In this clip, Ali Panahi takes us on a tour of the [Probe]Räume ([Test]Spaces). He also worked there himself during his federal volunteer service. The writing utensils on display there remind him of his childhood in Afghanistan. They are also closely linked to his work as a calligrapher. Ali fears that the art of handwriting will become increasingly less important due to electronic communication.

In this clip, 23-year-old Alungoo shows us the “Gegensätze” [opposites] room, which is part of the permanent exhibition. She’s an art student and focuses on the topics of origin, transnational identity and the critique of racism. You can find her work on her website and you can follow her work progress on her Instagram account.