Kunstverein
für Mecklenburg und Vorpommern
Schwerin
MADGERMANES Mystery of Foreign Affairs
International Research and Exhibition Project
Part I Schwerin
17.09. – 28.11. / Tues – Sunday 12 pm – 6 pm
The Kunstverein Schwerin was founded in 2002 to establish a forum for contemporary visual art. Since then, various exhibitions and projects have been realized that have attracted attention and enriched the arts and cultural scene. The exhibition MADGERMANES / Mystery of Foreign Affairs of the Schwerin Kunstverein is devoted to an exploration of a little known chapter on GDR foreign policy. The former contract workers from Mozambique, who lived and worked in the former GDR between 1979 and 1991 describe themselves as „Madgermanes“. The term „Madgermanes“ is a compound word, which is composed of the English „German“ and Bantu prefix „ma“, and translates to „the Germans.“ The term is often falsely translated to „Mad Germans“, meaning „crazy Germans.“ Even years after returning to their home countries, the „Madgermanes“ are still fighting to receive large parts of their salaries, as well as their social insurance contributions.
The exhibition MADGERMANES / Mystery of Foreign Affairs can be seen as a contribution to updating this story in the form of exhibitions and artistic works, both in the public space in Schwerin and in Maputo in 2018.
Exhibitions and Locations
Sculptures and photographs, paintings and graphics, videos and installations of contemporary artists are to be shown in the public space of Schwerin and in the exhibition spaces of the Kunstverein for Mecklenburg and Vorpommern, Schwerin. The exhibition provides insight into the ambivalent foreign policy of the former GDR in post-colonial Africa, which is almost entirely unknown, even though it still has a sociocultural and societal impact to the present day.
The „Poster Series“ was developed in cooperation with the artists especially for the urban space of Schwerin. The Angolan artist Edson Chargas and Matias Ntundo from Mozambique produced works to be placed on posters, and be displayed on large format billboards.
Edson Chagas‘ photo booth installation at the Ziegenmarkt, the cocoons of Jorge Dias near the Siegessäule, and other contributions to the exhibition collective, have cultural and political implications. Further work included in the exhibition demonstrates collective, cultural and political lines of association, focusing on questions of home and hope, identity and affiliation as well as the deconstruction of hegemonic concepts and the search for artistic procedures in dealing with the common post-colonial history.
Artistic Director: Andreas Wegner (DE)
Curator: Christiane Opitz (DE), Andreas Wegner (DE)
Artists:
Maimuna Adam (MZ/GB), Filipe Branquinho (MZ), Edson Chagas (AO), Iris Buchholz Chocolate (AO), Jorge Dias (MZ), Gemuce (MZ), Simon Gush (ZA), Tina Krüger (MZ/D), Katrin Michel (D),
Zanele Muholi (ZA), Félix Mula (MZ), Matias Ntundo (MZ), Mauro Pinto (MZ), Dito Tembe (MZ)
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The exhibition is funded by the TURN foundation of the Federal Cultural Foundation,
as well as by the Ministry of Education, Science and Art, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
KUNSTHALLE im E-Werk
Spieltordamm 5
DE-19055 Schwerin
Tel./Fax: +49 385 521 3166