Mi, 25.5.22

Opening with a concert of cellist Sonny Thet & a curator’s talk

Opening

Photo:Chickenwing Company von Nguyen Xuan Huy

Exceptional States

Time  16.00

4–8 PM
Welcome snacks

6 PM
Concert with cel­list Sonny Thet

7 PM
Curator’s talk (DE/EN)

WHERE IS MY KARAOKE? STILL, WE SING focu­ses on social rea­li­ties, life tra­jec­to­ries and prac­ti­ces of the con­tract workers and exch­an­ge ­stu­dents from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in the for­mer GDR. It reflects on the after­li­ves of the poli­ti­cal rela­ti­onship bet­ween the­se count­ries, as it unco­vers the socia­list con­cepts of »moder­ni­ty«, »brot­her­hood«, »soli­da­ri­ty« and »fri­end­ship« that endu­res bey­ond the fall of the ­Berlin Wall.

Inspired by the con­cept of Karaoke in which most­ly sin­gers re-nar­ra­te the pre-given musi­cal pat­tern of a cer­tain song, we rai­se ques­ti­ons of how migrants can be crea­tors or media­tors of moder­ni­ty? How did/do (post)migrants make their homes for them­sel­ves and trans­fer this know­ledge across generations?

The exhi­bi­ti­on fea­tures a 5‑month group exhi­bi­ti­on with artists Ho Rui An, Nguyễn Xuân Huy, Phung-Tien Phan, Songhak Ky, Trần Minh Đức and the BIPOC coll­ec­ti­ve Postmigrant Radio, as well as an audio­vi­su­al archi­ve coll­ec­tion, a public pro­gram­me with film scree­nings, panel dis­cus­sions, public inter­ven­ti­ons and gatherings.

4-8 PM Welcome snacks 6 PM Concert with cellist Sonny Thet 7 PM Curator’s talk (DE/EN)
WHERE IS MY KARAOKE? STILL, WE SING focuses on social realities, life trajectories and practices of the contract workers and exchange ­students from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in the former GDR. It reflects on the afterlives of the political relationship between these countries, as it uncovers the socialist concepts of »modernity«, »brotherhood«, »solidarity« and »friendship« that endures beyond the fall of the ­Berlin Wall. Inspired by the concept of Karaoke in which mostly singers re-narrate the pre-given musical pattern of a certain song, we raise questions of how migrants can be creators or mediators of modernity? How did/do (post)migrants make their homes for themselves and transfer this knowledge across generations? The exhibition features a 5-month group exhibition with artists Ho Rui An, Nguyễn Xuân Huy, Phung-Tien Phan, Songhak Ky, Trần Minh Đức and the BIPOC collective Postmigrant Radio, as well as an audiovisual archive collection, a public programme with film screenings, panel discussions, public interventions and gatherings.
Exceptional States

Funding

Unser besonderer Dank an / Special thanks to: Cô Nhung Đỗ, Soulath Schmidt, Cô Thắm, Sonny Thet. Prof. Dr. Claus Altmayer | Universität Leipzig, Prof. Dr. Doreen Mende | Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Doreen Frauendorf | Burg Giebichenstein, Silvia Gaetti | Grassi Museum, Oliver Grimm | Hochschule für Musik und Theater – HMT Leipzig, Dietmar Grundmann | Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, chị Lương Minh Ngọc | Universität Bielefeld , Oliver Raendchen, Nicole Reichert, Dr. Jörk Rothamel | Galerie Rothamel, Matthias Rietschel, Annegret Schüle, Tim Storch | Bundesarchiv Lichterfelde Berlin,  Jochen  Voit | Stiftung Ettersberg und Projekt “Gewalt und Freundschaft: Kambodscha und die DDR im Zeitalter der Ideologien“, Silke Wagler | Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Mirko Wiermann | DEFA Filmarchiv