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It is with great joy that we, the Department of Art History as Cultural History (KuK) of Prof Dr Bénédicte Savoy at Technische Universität Berlin, announce the coming session of the KuK-Tuesdays: Dislocation.

Date: December 19th, 2023, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Location: Hybrid Lab, Villa Bell, Marchstraße 8, 10587 Berlin

Since the Romantic period, India has been a source of Orientalist fantasies for German intellectuals and artists. Although the German Empire lacked colonial territories in South Asia, the translation of ancient Indian texts and the circulation of images and cultural assets had a profound impact on modern Germany. Similarly, travelogues and human exhibitions at the Völkerschauen reveal a complex imaginary that oscillated between idealising fascination and the racist exoticism inherent in imperialist power imbalances. India served as a catalyst for reform movements seeking alternative everyday practices, but also as a source of racist theories. This roundtable takes a critical look at the phenomenon of Indomania in Germany. It investigates how ancient Indian knowledge and culture have been appropriated with different motivations. It focuses on colonial archives and museum collections to examine modes of display and cultural representation. Our discussion will reflect on how these imperialist histories and legacies from India can be approached today and how counter narratives can be imagined.

With:

Dr Elija Horn
Research associate, Humanistische Hochschule Berlin

Habiba Insaf
Doctoral Candidate, CARMAH – Centre for Anthropological Research on Museum and Heritage / Humboldt Universität zu Berlin

Sajan Mani
Artist and Curator, Berlin

The evening was conceptualized and will be moderated by Dr Sol Izquierdo de la Viña, Postdoctoral Researcher Fellow in the Department of Art History at the Technische Universität Berlin.

The series of events KuK-Tuesdays: Dislocation, curated by Diệu Ly Hoàng and Freya Schwachenwald is a continuation of the KuK Tuesdays: Dislocation - Season 1 and 2 curated by Fogha Mc and Jeanne-Ange Wagne in 2022/2023. It aims to provide a space for exchange between the research at our institute, perspectives from different fields of practice, as well as artistic and activist positions.

The event is free of charge and the conversation will be held in English. An informal reception with drinks and snacks will be held at the end of the event.

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