The world is smaller than you think

How do colours affect us?

Does the hand of a chimpanzee belong in a museum? And can our consumer behaviour help to improve conditions in the global clothing industry? These are questions that Mouhamed Abed-Ali and Jan Hagen discussed with visitors during a guided tour of the After Nature exhibition. The two 18 and 17-year-olds are part of the ‘Critical Young Friends’, a group of young people who organise exhibitions and offer workshops at the Jugend Museum in Schöneberg as part of the ‘Discovery History Act Now’ project. They want to bring youthful and power-critical perspectives into play – also in the cooperation with the Humboldt Labor, which was initiated by museum educator Mohammed Minar Quayim. In the exhibition After Nature, the Critical Young Friends have replaced one of three exhibition texts with their own explanation for selected objects. In it, they address current socio-political developments and references to colonialism. In this interview, Mouhamed and Jan explain what they want visitors to take away with them and what they have learnt themselves.

Who are the Critical Young Friends?

Mouhamed Abed-Ali: The Critical Young Friends are a group of around 15 young people from the Jugend Museum in Schöneberg. We take part in projects to incorporate the views of young people and, for example – as here at the Humboldt Lab – to critically scrutinise why something is being exhibited. It seems strange to say this, but young people know more about some things than older people. We know when something is ‘cringe’, i.e. when people feel embarrassed. We also know the best way to get young people interested in things.

What did you do in the Humboldt Lab?

Jan Hagen: The first time we were there, we looked at the exhibition and gave feedback. That was last year during the autumn holidays. That’s how the collaboration came about. We then chose six objects that we found the most interesting and worked on them in groups. Originally, each exhibit had three object texts. We cancelled the one we found most irrelevant. There were usually repetitions from the first two texts or things that we didn’t think were that important. Instead, we wrote our own text. The biggest difference is that we bring in current references to world politics or ask questions about colonialism. Because the point of our work is to scrutinise power critically. We look at the power imbalance between the global North and the global South and ask: What are the conditions like, why are they like this – and should they be like this?

Which objects did you choose?

Jan Hagen: Among other things, I chose the masks that the Beninese artist Romuald Hazoumè made from old petrol cans. My sister studies ethnology and we have often had discussions in the family about looted art and how to deal with it. I think the example of the masks is a good way to talk about the topic – and to criticise the Humboldt Forum. I think it’s a cool institution, but it’s also important to scrutinise certain things. I don’t think it’s right that the Humboldt Forum has Benin bronzes from Africa and looted art in general in its collections.

Mouhamed Abed-Ali: For example, I selected the colourant samples from the petrochemical colourant collection at the Technical University of Dresden. It’s about the effect and symbolism that colours used to have. In my opinion, however, it is much more important to look at the partly unconscious effects that colours have today. We are confronted with them everywhere. When you look out of the window: bright colours everywhere. Usually you don’t realise that you immediately have associations: Blue is for boys, pink is for girls. Black often stands for something negative – such as fare evasion. White, on the other hand, often stands for positive things – like a ‘clean slate’. It’s important to talk about it.

How does it feel that your texts are now part of the exhibition?

Mouhamed Abed-Ali: It’s a very good feeling. What is on display in the showcases is not written by academics or politicians, but by young people. I’m very proud of it.

Jan Hagen: I think it’s an incredible privilege that we have the opportunity to change an exhibition. It’s a great opportunity.

What criticisms do you have of the exhibition? What would you do differently?

Jan Hagen: In terms of the exhibition texts, it would mainly be the lack of reference to current events. I don’t think you can criticise much about the objects themselves. We actually think the exhibition is good. It doesn’t contain any looted art either. With the chimpanzee hand, you could of course start a discussion about animal ethics and ask whether something like that should be shown in a museum.

As far as the presentation of the objects is concerned, we have a suggestion for improvement. There are three texts from three perspectives for each of them. These aspects could be linked to traces on the floor. Then you could follow the theme of global inequality, for example, and find different objects to go with it.

You went through the exhibition with a group of visitors, presented your perspectives to them and discussed them. How did you experience this tour?

Mouhamed Abed-Ali: A guided tour like this is a big responsibility. That’s why we were a little nervous. It went quite well, also because we weren’t completely alone. We had each other and also Mohammed Minar Quayim, who was able to give us more information about the exhibition. It was difficult when questions came up that we couldn’t answer so quickly or in such general terms. For example, someone asked how things were going in Germany with the oil crisis, inflation and protests. We can’t answer that because we don’t know.

What have you yourselves learnt from dealing with the exhibition?

Mouhamed Abed-Ali: Personally, it made me realise once again how connected the world is, both positively and negatively. There is nothing that you pack somewhere else or that happens somewhere else that won’t affect you here sooner or later. For example, during the coronavirus pandemic, we thought: that’s in Wuhan, it won’t happen here. But the world is smaller than you think.

Jan Hagen: The project has also strengthened my political views because it has confirmed that we need to change things. There is a power imbalance in the world that is not good for the Global North in the long term.

Mouhamed Abed-Ali: It’s frightening that double standards are still constantly being applied. We didn’t think it would still be this bad in 2022. For us, that means we have to deal with it more.

What other projects are you pursuing with Critical Young Friends?

Jan Hagen: Apart from that, we organise exhibitions in our own museum, the Jugend Museum in Schöneberg. We also have collaborations, for example with the Berlin University of Applied Sciences.

We do a lot of museum work, but also other projects. For example, the museum helped with the U18 elections. We try to convey an awareness of democracy and show others: You have to get involved! You could call some of that activism.

Mouhamed Abed-Ali: Yes, we do a lot of educational and empowerment work – for example in the Tape Art project, where we make a work of art out of adhesive tape with other young people. In the very first Discovery History Act Now project, called ‘Zeichen setzen’ (Making a mark), we interviewed various activists in front of the camera who deal with anti-racism, antiziganism and anti-discrimination in general. We wanted to show that racism is still a big issue.

Further information: HTTPS://WWW.DISCOVERHISTORY-ACTNOW.DE/CYF/