Homo sapiens is probably the only animal that knows it will die. Only humans are aware of their own existence - and therefore also of their vulnerability and transience. Yet despite all the scientific progress, death remains a phenomenon that transcends our understanding. There is nothing we know less about than the moment after death. As diverse as cultures and religions are worldwide, so, too, are the answers to the question of what death means. IN_FINITE brings together the various perspectives in essays, interviews, photographs and personal accounts of experiences. This book opens up a multi-layered view of ideas about the hereafter, mourning, dealing with the dying and the dead - and asks about the future of Homo sapiens in the age of the Anthropocene.
With contributions by and interviews with:Cristina Cattaneo Stephen Cave Dipesh Chakrabarty Jens Dreier Matthew Glaubrecht Liv Nilsson Stutz Julia Samuel Helaine Selin & Robert M. Rakoff Robin Wall Kimmerer and many others
Naga country. Voices from Northeast India Published by the Humboldt Forum Foundation in the Berlin Palace German and English edition, 96 pages, paperback, 26.5 x 21.5 cm, Deutscher Kunstverlag, Berlin 2023, EUR 22 The Naga form a minority in Northeast India and in north-west Myanmar - and at the same time consist of over thirty different ethnic groups, that is three to four million people with numerous languages.
How do they manage to preserve their traditional traditions and integrate them into today's changed lifestyles - with modern tattoos, fashion and social media? Authors from Nagaland describe different facets of their current and past culture and shed a new light on the Naga collection of the Ethnological Museum in Berlin, which has been supplemented with contemporary objects.
Naga country. Voices from North-East India Published by the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss English edition, 96 pages, softcover, 26.5 x 21.5 cm, Deutscher Kunstverlag, Berlin 2023, 22.- Euro The Naga represent a minority in north- eastern India and north-western Myanmar – yet comprise more than thirty ethnic groups with an overall population of three to four million speaking numerous languages. How have the Naga managed to preserve their traditions and customs and integrate them in today's lifestyle changes - with modern tattoos, fashion and social media?
Describing facets of their culture as it is lived today and relating them to the past, writers from Nagaland make the collection of Naga artefacts at the Ethnological Museum in Berlin, now supplemented by contemporary exhibits, appear in a new light.
Against the Current. The Omaha, Francis La Flesche, and his Collection Published by the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss English edition, 128 pages, softcover, 26.5 x 21.5 cm, Deutscher Kunstverlag, Berlin 2023, 22.- Euro The collections of the Ethnological Museum in Berlin house around sixty objects from the Omaha of North America that were assembled by the indigenous ethnologist Francis La Flesche around 1895 on behalf of the Royal Museum of Ethnology. It was a time of upheaval, when the lives of the Omaha were marked by loss of land, racism, and violence.
The effects can still be felt today. This book offers insight into the life and work of La Flesche and the process of organizing the exhibition Against the Current. The catalog of objects written by Francis La Flesche is being published here for the first time.
Ancestors, goddesses and heroes. Sculptures from Asia, Africa and Europe Published by the Humboldt Forum Foundation in the Berlin Palace German and English edition, 96 pages, paperback, 26.5 x 21.5 cm, Deutscher Kunstverlag, Berlin 2023, 22 euros Protect, heal or punish – people from different times and backgrounds ascribed these powers to the images that are being presented here together for the first time:45 objects, created between the 4th and 19th centuries, convey living evidence of the ever-present human need for protection and orientation in overcoming individual or societal crises.
They stand for the existence of an invisible world of goddesses and gods, spirits or ancestors who helped to create a tangible connection between this world and an"other reality"and gave inspiration for one's own life.
Ancestors, goddesses and heroes. Sculptures from Asia, Africa and Europe Published by the Humboldt Forum Foundation in the Berlin Palace German and English edition, 96 pages, paperback, 26.5 x 21.5 cm, Deutscher Kunstverlag, Berlin 2023, 22 euros Protect, heal or punish – people from different times and backgrounds ascribed these powers to the images that are being presented here together for the first time:45 objects, created between the 4th and 19th centuries, convey living evidence of the ever-present human need for protection and orientation in overcoming individual or societal crises.
They stand for the existence of an invisible world of goddesses and gods, spirits or ancestors who helped to create a tangible connection between this world and an"other reality"and gave inspiration for one's own life.
Ancestors, Goddesses and Heroes. Sculptures from Asia, Africa and Europe Published by the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss English edition, 96 pages, softcover, 26.5 x 21.5 cm, Deutscher Kunstverlag, Berlin 2023, 22.- Euro To protect, heal or punish – These are the powers that peoples of radically different ages and places of origin ascribed to the images that are here presented alongside each other for the very first time.
The forty-five objects created between the fourth and nineteenth centuries are a vital attestation of the ever-present need for protection and orientation in times of crisis, whether at the personal or the social level. They stand for the existence of an invisible world of gods, spirits and ancestors that helped forge a palpable link between the here and now and a different reality as well as providing inspiration for the life of each and every individual.
What the Humboldt Brothers have to do with the Humboldt Forum.
Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt are the namesakes of the Humboldt Forum. Their biographies, works, points of view, as well as the circumstances in which they lived build a compelling relationship with the Humboldt Forum - starting with the brothers' early lives, growing up near the palace and the royal family. Their later travels, Alexander's nature studies, and Wilhelm's language studies not only illuminate the"interconnected system of nature and culture", they often prove to be astonishingly relevant:What does language mean for living together in a society? In what ways do we acquire knowledge and what responsibilities come with this knowledge? How do we address the colonial contexts of the past as well as of the present?
The Humboldt brothers' insights about the interconnected world, the spirit of their research, their curiosity and their cosmopolitanism inspire the Humboldt Forum's artistic and scientific programme. This book connects the works of the brothers with the cultural institution named after them - and dares to take a new look at these two famous scholars' wide-ranging cosmos of ideas through text and image.
Prestel Verlag, 2022, English edition, paperback, brochure with flaps, 128 pages, 12 x 22 cm, 60 color illustrations, ISBN EN 978-3-7913-7955-5
What the Humboldt brothers have to do with the Humboldt Forum. Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt gave the Humboldt Forum its name.
The brothers' biographies, their works and views, but also the circumstances in which they moved, create a tense relationship to the Humboldt Forum - beginning with their growing up together near the palace and the royal family.
Her later travels, Alexander's nature and Wilhelm's language studies illuminate the"intertwined system of nature and culture"and often prove to be incredibly topical:What does language mean for living together in the community? In what ways do we acquire knowledge, and what responsibility does this knowledge entail? How do we deal with colonial conditions in the past and present? The knowledge of the Humboldt brothers about the networked world, their spirit of research, their curiosity and cosmopolitanism inspire the artistic and scientific program of the Humboldt Forum.
This book connects the work of the brothers with the cultural site named after them - and dares a new look at the wide-ranging cosmos of thought of the two famous scholars in texts and pictures.
Prestel Verlag, 2022, German and English edition, paperback, brochure with flaps, 128 pages, 12 x 22 cm, 60 color illustrations, ISBN DE 978-3-7913-7954-8
A Japanese tea house, an audio installation with sounds of Nigeria, a two-part flagpole made of bronze:Numerous, often large-scale works of contemporary art can be discovered throughout the spacious displays at Berlin's Humboldt Forum. Works by artists from different cultures around the world enrich the collections shown in the exhibitions of the Ethnological Museum, Museum of Asian Art, and the Federal State of Berlin. In addition, seven works of Kunst am Bau (art in architecture) have been realized at the Humboldt Forum. They concern themselves with the location's history and the Humboldt Forum as a site representing the world, encouraging encounters and exchange, or paying tribute to the Forum's namesakes, the brothers Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt. This book presents selected works of art in informative, richly associative texts and impressive photographs. Together they offer entirely new insights into the diverse voices that make up the Humboldt Forum cultural venue.
A Japanese tea house, a sound installation with Nigerian sounds, a two-part bronze flagpole:numerous works of contemporary art, some of which are expansive, can be discovered on the vast areas of Berlin's Humboldt Forum. In the exhibitions of the Ethnological Museum, the Museum of Asian Art and the State of Berlin, works by artists from different communities enrich the collections. In addition, seven works of art were realized in the Humboldt Forum, which deal with the history of the place, with the Humboldt Forum as a"place in the world", encounter and exchange or the namesake, the brothers Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt, appreciate. This book presents selected works of art in informative and associative texts as well as impressive photographs and thus offers completely new insights into the many-voiced cultural location Humboldt Forum.
Published by the Humboldt Forum Foundation in the Berlin Palace.
The successful exhibition from Canberra is coming to Berlin:Discover the origin of Australia first-hand based on one of its central creation stories! Conceived and realized by an Indigenous Board of Trustees in cooperation with the National Museum of Australia and the Australian University, the volume takes us into the impressive world of songlines. Songlines are cultural routes that criss-cross Australia. In stories, songs, ceremonies or rock paintings they tell of the legend of the seven sisters who created the country on their journey. They are reflected in the landscape and star constellations and are carriers of knowledge of indigenous culture that is essential for survival. Using the example of the songlines of the Seven Sisters, the richly illustrated volume tells a lively story about the rules of coexistence, the mapping of the rights of Indigenous Australians and the responsibility for their country.
3,000 figurative sculptures and reliefs 22,000 sandstone blocks 750 Meters of Restored Facades 3.5 million bricks
Encounter the architecture and sculptural work of Andreas Schlueter's masterful façades and those of his successor Eosander von Göthe in breath-taking new photographs by Leo Seidel:the restored Berlin Palace in the center of the capital is both a monument to the Baroque building and a vibrant new city complex for culture. With the palace, the urban reference point for the historic center of the city between the boulevard Unter Den Linden and the Spree Island has returned. The magnificent photographs and multifaceted texts by authors who, as participants in this major project, look behind the scenes, tell of the diversity and significance of the Baroque sandstone façades, their technical and handcrafted reconstruction, and the architectural conception of the building.
Published by Humboldt Forum Foundation in the Berlin Palace
Contributions by Hans-Dieter Hegner, Kathrin Lange, Bernd Wolfgang Lindemann, Franco Stella, Peter Stephan, Bernhard Wolter
3,000 figurative sculptures 22,000 sandstone workpieces 750 meters of restored facades 3.5 million bricks
The architecture and sculpture of the masterful facades of Andreas Schlueter and his successor Eosander meet in breathtaking new photographs by Leo Seidel:The resurrected Berlin Palace in the center of Berlin is both a monument to the baroque building and a lively new urban district for culture. With the castle, the urban reference point for the historic center of the city between the boulevard Unter den Linden and the Museum Island returns. The magnificent photographs and the multifaceted texts by authors who, as participants in this major project, look behind the scenes, tell of the diversity and importance of the baroque sandstone facades, their technical and craft reconstruction and the architectural conception of the building.
Published by the Humboldt Forum Foundation in the Berlin Palace
Text contributions by Hans-Dieter Hegner, Kathrin Lange, Bernd Wolfgang Lindemann, Franco Stella, Peter Stephan, Bernhard Wolter
