Report back from Made in Germany?—Art and Identity in a Global Nation, by Angelika Nguyen, director of “Brotherland is Burnt Down”
From September 13, 2024, to January 5, 2025, the Harvard Art Museums in Boston, MA, are hosting the exhibition “Made in Germany? – Art and Identity in a Global Nation.” My film “Brotherland is Burnt Down” (1991; original German title: “Bruderland ist abgebrannt”) was featured as part of the exhibition’s accompanying program, with two screenings.
On October 12, the film was shown in Menschel Hall, a beautiful cinema within the museum complex, alongside the documentary “Good Luck Germany” (2024; original German title: “Glück Auf in Deutschland”) by Pınar Öğrenci. Öğrenci’s film explores the lives of Turkish migrants and the mining industry in the Ruhr region of West Germany since the 1950s.
The pairing of these two films was well-received, attracting an audience of approximately 70 attendees.
After the screening, curator Peter Murphy and I participated in a discussion. During the Q&A session, the audience posed many thought-provoking questions on a lively exchange. Topics included East German history, the unique characteristics of Vietnamese migration to East and West Germany, and the interpretation of the compelling imagery in Pınar Öğrenci’s film.
The event lasted about two and a half hours, followed by personal conversations between myself and attendees, particularly those with Asian-American backgrounds who shared their own experiences.
The second screening took place on October 13 in a more intimate setting, organized by the German-American Art Association of the Busch-Reisinger Museum. Around 25 people attended. This discussion had a different focus, centering on the experiences of those socialized in West Germany compared to my own East German upbringing.
Audience members expressed keen interest in learning about the fall of the Berlin Wall and its impact on migrants and East Germans.
This smaller gathering also included a tour of the “Made in Germany? – Art and Identity in a Global Nation” exhibition. The exhibition features many artists with East German backgrounds, who use their work to reflect on the fall of the Berlin Wall, life in East Germany, and the GDR. Among them were East German artists of color offering unique perspectives. In contrast, West German artists often highlighted the racist sentiments and violence that accompanied a time of significant social upheaval.
This event was co-sponsored by the Goethe-Institut and the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung New York Office.
