Name: Internationaler Literaturpreis 2025
Uploaded: 2025-07-17T00:00:00.000+02:00
Duration: 1 h 57 min 2 s
Description: Award Ceremony with award winning author Kim Hyesoon and translators Sool Park and Uljana Wolf, 17.7.2025

In accordance with the ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC), you must consent to the use and storage of cookies when you visit our website. In addition to the strictly necessary, functional cookies, we recommend that you also activate further cookies in order to be able to use all the functions on our website.

The exhibition&nbsp;Global Fascisms&nbsp;critically examines the aesthetic, social, and political dynamics of fascism, questioning its appeal and ideological mechanisms. A key aim is to understand fascism not only as a historical phenomenon, but also as an ongoing global threat that transcends its historically confined definition, manifesting in diverse political, cultural, and social contexts today. Focusing on the historical and contemporary contexts in which far-right ideologies thrive, the exhibition interrogates contested notions such as&nbsp; &lsquo;identity&rsquo;, &lsquo;community&rsquo;, and &lsquo;belonging&rsquo;.

The exhibition brings together works by around fifty international artists who respond to the rise of fascist ideologies through a variety of media, including painting, film, performance, discourse, publications, and digital formats. Historical artworks complement the group exhibition, creating surprising connections between past and present. The exhibition offers insights into the ideological seduction and aesthetics of fascist ideologies, while analysing the social and technological developments underlying these movements.

global-fascisms

Global Fascisms

The architectural series,&nbsp;Shaped to the Measure of the People&rsquo;s Songs, continues in summer 2025 with an artistic intervention in space by Mae-ling Lokko and Gustavo Crembil.&nbsp;

Soil is home to the greatest number of species including not only the animal, plant, and fungi kingdoms of life but also for a broad range of materials.&nbsp;Seeping,&nbsp;eroding,&nbsp;diluting, mixing, filtering,&nbsp;storing, transporting,&nbsp;and sedimenting, the dynamic patterns of material migration in and out of soil horizons continuously reconstitute its territory as well as the broader ecology of human and non-human health over time. Over the past five centuries, unprecedented scales of mining, farming, and transforming materials have transformed soil ecosystems, compromising their capacity to nurture and sustain a broad range of biotic activity. Through its cataloguing of soil composite panels, the&nbsp;Ileum&nbsp;pavilion explores pluriversal roles of architecture in confronting its more recent historical indifference to soil ecosystems.&nbsp;Ileum draws upon Berlin&rsquo;s Gro&szlig;es Tropenhaus (a large tropical greenhouse, located in the Botanischer Garten in Dahlem), as a reference site for repair of both soil ecosystems and contemporary building cultures. Designed by Alfred Koerner in 1905 to house over 1,400 plant species from the African, Asian, and Australian tropics, the Gro&szlig;es Tropenhaus remains one of the largest steel and glass structures in the world. Alongside the importation of tropical flora into the greenhouse, the highly-networked botanical and colonial enterprise invented new systems of taxonomic classification that underpinned not only the centralization and control over global plant research but lucrative commercial applications in agriculture, pharmaceutical, and energy industries.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Replacing the Tropenhaus&rsquo;s self-supporting iron and glass cold frame with a timber structure, the pavilion&rsquo;s panelling system is reconstituted with composites of not only biogenic materials, but a growing scale of synthetic and secondary mineral industry by-products. By-products from twenty-first century enterprises including agriculture (rice husk, fly ash), metal manufacturing (ferro-silicon alloy by-products), and renewable energy systems (recycled solar panel glass fibres) are used as substrate, binder, and additive in earthen composite panels using non-toxic and low carbon material life cycle processing.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The topographical texture of&nbsp;Ileum&rsquo;s tactile surface panels take inspiration from aerial mapping changes in soil phenomena, recalling processes of soil accumulation, slow filtration, and the generative interaction of &lsquo;geological communities&rsquo; both biotic and abiotic, human and non-human. In contrast to the dark brown, grey, and golden hues of the soil composite panels and the velvety white of the mycelium panels, brightly-coloured shredded cotton particles are embedded across undulating surfaces, creating softness and visual contrast. Sourced from the OR Foundation located in Ghana&rsquo;s Kantamanto market, one of the world&rsquo;s largest repositories for second-hand clothing, recycled cotton represents the celebration of a discarded material, once used intimately by humans to protect their bodies, line their beds, and cover their belongings. Named after the longest, critical section of the human small intestine, where a large percentage of nutrients are absorbed and remaining by-products are passed on, the pavilion proposes an open and accessible space for self-reflection, reckoning, and reimagining how architecture can participate in rebuilding soil as home.

Temporary pavilion, 2025, by&nbsp;Mae-ling Lokko and Gustavo Crembil

ileum

Ileum

In the discussion series Theatre of Reconciliation, Max Czollek encounters people who are exploring questions of memory. How do societies remember? What does the much-lauded German Erinnerungskultur&mdash;culture of remembrance&mdash;have to do with the question of belonging? What does remembrance mean for the German, European, and international present?

versoehnungstheater-max-czollek-im-gespraech-mit-peggy-piesche

Max Czollek in Conversation with Peggy Piesche

Surreal Continuum: Revisiting, Remapping, Reimagining Surrealism&nbsp;is a two-day festival programme that re-examines the movement on its centenary, reimagining and remapping it by examining interrelated movements and histories typically regarded as disconnected or rendered completely unseen, as well as by celebrating its overlooked artists and proposing other reference points.

Opening speech by Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Director and Chief Curator of HKW, 11.4.2025

surreal-continuum-opening-speech

Surreal Continuum: Revisiting, Remapping, Reimagining Surrealism

Anger, control, exclusion: in digital realms, on social media, in rap lyrics, and podcasts, there are images of masculinity emerging that are increasingly and openly anti-feminist, authoritarian, and nationalistic. They define belonging through exclusion, strength through violence&mdash;and they&rsquo;re specifically targeting a young male audience. What makes these narratives so appealing? And what role do pop culture, subcultures, and online platforms play in spreading such worldviews?

This panel brings together authors, journalists, and activists who work at the intersection of digital culture, education, and political discourse: Hendrik Bolz, Veronika Kracher, Fikri Anıl Altıntaş, Shila Behjat, and Tarik Tesfu discuss right-wing symbolism and toxic masculinity, while also asking how educational institutions can counter these dynamics more effectively.

Panel with&nbsp;Hendrik Bolz, Veronika Kracher, Fikri Anıl Altıntaş, and Shila Behjat, moderated by Tarik Tesfu, part of Global Fascisms, 16.11.2025

maennlichkeitsbilder-und-autoritaere-verheissungen

Männlichkeitsbilder und autoritäre Verheißungen

Readings, Conversations, Performances, DJ Set, Artist Talks, Installations, Film Screenings 
11.&ndash;12.4.2025

surreal-continuum

Musafiri: Von Reisenden und G&auml;sten&nbsp;spricht aus der Position der Gegenwart und nimmt dabei die aktuellen Auspr&auml;gungen wesentlich &auml;lterer Spannungen in den Blick, die um die Frage kreisen, wer willkommen ist und wer nicht, wessen Perspektiven willkommen sind und wessen Perspektiven nicht willkommen sind und wer &uuml;ber diese Grenzbereiche entscheidet. Der &ouml;ffentlich Diskurs und die Politik unserer Zeit (und dabei ist Deutschland eines der augenf&auml;lligsten Beispiele) ist in vielerlei Hinsicht von &Auml;ngsten gepr&auml;gt, die aus der vermeintlichen Bedrohung der etablierten (und h&auml;ufig hegemonialen) und in den jeweiligen lokalen Blickwinkeln verankerten Sichtweisen auf die Welt herr&uuml;hren. Als solches ist die Ausstellung ein dringendes Pl&auml;doyer f&uuml;r die Anerkennung und Bekr&auml;ftigung der polyphonen Welten all derer, die sich von den Orten ihrer Herkunft gel&ouml;st und auf den Weg gemacht haben.

Exhibition and Research Project, 8.3&ndash;16.6 2025

musafiri

Musafiri: Of Travellers and Guests

Quantum anthropology offers a fascinating new perspective on humanity, culture, and the world by considering the quantum nature of reality. This interdisciplinary exploration begins with a profound question: what is the source of creation in the world? Or, as physicists might ask: what underlies the formation and emergence of material objects? Quantum theory suggests that &lsquo;zero-point fluctuations in the vacuum&rsquo;&mdash;random, ambient, fluctuating energy even in the emptiest spaces&mdash;may hold the key. This invisible force is thought to drive the actualization of matter and entities in time and space. Interestingly, this concept resonates with the cultural philosophies of many Indigenous peoples, who often speak of a life-giving force, an original singularity, or a &lsquo;Great Mystery&rsquo;. These ancient ideas, deeply embedded in Indigenous arts and artefacts, reflect a similar understanding of creation and emergence. In this lecture, Radek Trnka and Radmila Lorencov&aacute; explore the intriguing parallels between quantum physics and Indigenous cosmologies, seeking to illuminate how these seemingly distant ways of thinking converge on the mystery of creation.

Lecture and conversation with Radek Trnka and Radmila Lorencov&aacute; as part of Fertile Void:&nbsp;Quantum Paradoxes and the Physics of Living Matter

quantum-anthropology

Quantum Anthropology

Between 1949 and 1990, thousands of people migrated to the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from countries such as Algeria, Angola, Chile, Cuba, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Syria, and Vietnam. Their stories remain largely untold. The exhibition and research project Echoes of the Brother Countries is dedicated to the often overlooked political, economic, educational, and artistic links, as well as the exchange and migration movements between the GDR and other socialist-orientated states, the so-called brother countries.

What is the Price of Memory and What is the Cost of Amnesia? Or: Visions an Illusions of Anti-Imperialist Solidarities, An exhibition and research project at Haus der Kulturen der Welt, 1.3&ndash;20.5.2024

echos-der-bruderlaender

Echoes of the Brother Countries

Between 1949 and 1990, thousands of people migrated to the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from countries such as Algeria, Angola, Chile, Cuba, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Syria, and Vietnam. Their stories remain largely untold. The exhibition and research project&nbsp;Echoes of the Brother Countries&nbsp;is dedicated to the often overlooked political, economic, educational, and artistic links, as well as the exchange and migration movements between the GDR and other socialist-orientated states, the so-called brother countries.

The Internationaler Literaturpreis 2025 Reader gathers extracts from the six works&nbsp;shortlisted for the award, which&nbsp;honours an outstanding work of contemporary international literature that has been translated into German for the first time.

internationaler-literaturpreis-reader-2025

The Internationaler Literaturpreis Reader 2025

In the discussion series&nbsp;Theatre of Reconciliation, Max Czollek encounters people who are exploring questions of memory. How do societies remember? What does the much-lauded German&nbsp;Erinnerungskultur&mdash;culture of remembrance&mdash;have to do with the question of belonging? What does remembrance mean for the German, European, and international present?

Part of the discussion series Theatre of Reconciliation, 26.11.2023

versoehnungstheater-max-czollek-im-gespraech-mit-naika-foroutan

Theatre of Reconciliation: Max Czollek in Conversation with Naika Foroutan

Videos

This keynote conversation departs from Haitian sociologist Jean Casimir&rsquo;s concept of the counter-plantation system, a framework he argues is essential for understanding Haiti&rsquo;s resistance to colonial exploitation and its quest for economic autonomy. He emphasizes the importance of preserving cultural heritage and of reclaiming land and labour from the vestiges of plantation economies, advocating for community-centred traditions and agricultural practices that prioritize local needs over global capitalist demands. 
 
Conscious of the need to dedicate in-depth reflections on this concern, Casimir, Marl&egrave;ne L. Daut, and C&eacute;lestin Monga map out the strategies of underdevelopment employed against the Haitian nations in the frame of post-colonial geopolitics. Together, the trio weaves a narrative of hope and resilience, envisioning a future where Haiti, supported by the various nations of the so-called Global South, can thrive through solidarity and self-sufficiency. 
 
Expanding on the notion of the counter-plantation system and the urgency of building economic solidarities between African as well as other Caribbean nations, Casimir, Daut, and Monga delve into the intricacies of post-colonial economic structures and the potential for transformative change.&nbsp;In engaging with Haiti&rsquo;s political history and present, this&nbsp;Bwa Kayiman&nbsp;session poses the question: what would Haiti&rsquo;s economic situation be today if the world as a whole had recognized its debt to it?&nbsp;

Part of Bwa Kayiman&mdash;Tout Moun se Moun, keynote and conversation with Jean Casimir, C&eacute;lestin Monga, and Marlene L. Daut,&nbsp;2.8.2024

rasambleman-sa-na-kenbe-keynote-gespraech

Rasambleman! Sa Na Kenbe? Reimagining Translocal Living Economies for Haiti’s Counter-Plantation System

Souverainet&eacute;, de quel c&ocirc;t&eacute; es-tu? [Sovereignty, which side are you on?]&nbsp;is an articulation on how notions of sovereignty have been adapted according to various social, economic, and geopolitical realities. Together with playwright, poet, political essayist, and 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Wole Soyinka, writer, poet, and novelist Evelyne Trouillot reflect on governance and governments, civic engagement, the place of the arts in society, as well as state abuse and destabilization wrought by colonial and imperial regimes. Soyinka and Trouillot&rsquo;s conversation aims to propose that sovereignty should be understood not merely in terms of borders or the functions of executive, legislative, and judicial institutions, but as something rooted in living civics&mdash;informed by communitarian practice and values such as reciprocity, respect for plurality, and shared responsibility. Drawing on personal insights, their artistic practice, and cross-regional perspectives, they consider sovereignty as a concept rooted in communal well-being and a spirituality dedicated to the care of land and people.

Inaugural conversation with Wole Soyinka and &Eacute;velyne Trouillot, part of&nbsp;Bwa Kayiman&mdash;Lakouz&eacute;mi,&nbsp;1.8.2025

bwa-2025-auftakt-gespraech-soyinka-trouillot

Souveraineté, de quel côté es-tu? [Sovereignty, which side are you on?]

The first evening of&nbsp;Bwa Kayiman&mdash;Lakouz&eacute;mi&nbsp;ends with an adaptation of&nbsp;VIBRATIONS, TRANSLATIONS&nbsp;(2023) by Slim Soledad&mdash;artist, DJ, co-founder of the queer collective Chernobyl, and initiator of one of S&atilde;o Paulo&rsquo;s first trans-led parties of the same name. The performance takes place under the simulated light of a red full moon, shining on the&nbsp;lakou-like scenography to create a nocturnal space of communion. Soledad&rsquo;s artistic practice derives from her deep connection to sound and dance as tools for transfiguration. During the performance she and her guests, the artists and performers Alada and Black Pearl de Almeida Lima, explore music&rsquo;s ability to bridge material and immaterial experiences of the world, as well as its potential for enabling resonances between the body and the spiritual. Through sonic and ritualistic practices, the performers translate sound into body motions and vice versa, while also decoding the vibrations emitted by natural elements like water, rock, and plants. Drawing upon Afro-futurist and ancestral knowledge frameworks, soundscapes, movements, and spoken incantations allow for collective and individual connections, intertwining past and present, emotions and dreams.&nbsp;

Concept, Sound, Direction, Performance: Slim Soledad&nbsp; 
Sound, Performance: Alada&nbsp; 
Choreography, Performance: Black Pearl&nbsp; 
Co-Direction, Light Design, Production: Lolla Venzon

Performance by Slim Soledad with Alada and Black Pearl de Almeida Lima, part of&nbsp;Bwa Kayiman &ndash; Lakouz&eacute;mi,&nbsp;1.8.2025

bwa-2025-performance-black-pearl

VIBRATIONS, TRANSLATIONS

Following the tradition of the Bwa Kayiman ceremony that took place in 1791 and sparked the Haitian Revolution, the Sylvia Wynter Foyer at HKW and the installation&nbsp;The Playground of All Possibilities&nbsp;are activated by performative gestures centring the voice as a tool of resistance: the voice that sings, the voice that mourns, the voice that speaks, the voice that whispers. Taking inspiration from traditions of agoras such as Senegalese Pencs, Colombian Mingas, Peruvian Pe&ntilde;as, Haitian Lakous, and others, the space is dedicated to weaving and activating together historical, cultural, ancestral, and contemporary narratives pertaining to stories of liberation from Haiti and various Caribbean geographies.

Part of Bwa Kayiman&mdash;Tout Moun se Moun, performance with Rachelle Jeanty, Luis Garay, Amina Szecs&ouml;dy, Kelvin Kilonzo, Lukresia Quismundo, John Shades, Riva Pr&eacute;cil

rasambleman-sa-na-kenbe-performance

Rasambleman, Sa Na Kenbe? The Lakou as a Space for Political Transformation

HKW hosts a movement lecture by legendary choreographer, dance pedagogue, and scholar L&rsquo;Antoinette Stines. Conscious of the importance for people of colour&nbsp;to create their own language and canons outside European ones, her L&rsquo;Antech, short for L&#39;Anyah CARIMOD (Anglo-Caribbean Modern Contemporary) Technique, is an effort to comprise the range of ways that bodies that inhabit the archipelago move and the dance cultures they carry. Taking the body as a library that stores histories, her methodology is a result of creolization, using what she calls &lsquo;synerbridging&rsquo; (a combining of the words &lsquo;synergy&rsquo; and &lsquo;bridging&rsquo;) between the dance practices that emerge from kumina, bruckins, nyabinghi, tambu, yanvalou, piquet, arara, bambosche, various European classical lines, and daaance&#39;all (dancehall). With a long trajectory of works that promote female and local cultural empowerment, Stines formulates in L&rsquo;Antech the retained movements that came across the ocean, the ancestral memories of African people, without excluding the European, Asian, and Indigenous contributions present in CARIMOD.&nbsp; 
 
With the support of assistant demonstrator Jessica Shaw and drummer Kemoy Outar.

Part of Bwa Kayiman&mdash;Tout Moun se Moun,&nbsp;movement lecture and dance workshop with L&rsquo;Antoinette Stines, 3.8.2024

l-antoinette-stines-dance-workshop

L’Antech: Wine yu Bottom. Lift up yu Chest and Pointe yu Tuoz

Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) is a pluri-disciplinary institution in Berlin whose work centers around the practices of visual arts, performative arts, sonic/music, architecture, literature and oraliture, as well as scientific and cultural discursive formats.

hkw-mediathek

HKW Mediathek

geetanjali-shree

turi-leng-seong-agostino

Turit Fröbe

bonaventure-soh-bejeng-ndikung

uljana-wolf

Uljana Wolf

kim-hyesoon

Kimberlee Weatherall

sool-park

Sónia Vaz Borges

externalLinks

deniz-utlu

cia-rinne

Ciarán Finlayson

The winners of this year&#39;s Internationaler Literaturpreis were announced at a festive award ceremony.

Opening speech by the director and chief curator of HKW, Prof. Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung&nbsp;(00:00:00) 
Award-winning author Geetanjali Shree holds a keynote&nbsp;(00:18:00) 
This years jury members Deniz Utlu and Cia Rinne anounce the award winners and give a laudatory speech&nbsp;(00:38:13) 
Discussion about the award-winning work and its translation, with jury members Hannes Langend&ouml;rfer and Khu&ecirc; Phạm, as well as the author and translator (00:52:30) 
Musical performance by Turi Leng Seong Agostino&nbsp;(01:53:03)

Award Ceremony with award winning author Kim Hyesoon and translators Sool Park and Uljana Wolf, 17.7.2025