We live in relationships. This insight inspires a two-day festival at the Humboldt Forum that deals with biological or chosen family, kinship, ancestry and the intimate relationship constellations in which we are all involved. Look forward to a festival of togetherness and participation with guided tours, dynamic dance performances, communal meals, concerts and friendly chatbots throughout the building – with a special focus on the special exhibitions on Family Matters.
Performances and Interaction
On May 1, we explore the feeling of “oneness,” including through a performance by the artist duo Mwangi Hutter. Vision of Oneness celebrates people who have found connection despite their very different backgrounds.
In The Mitochondrial Eve, Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen reflects on the shifting, multifaceted role of motherhood.
How do we build intimacy? In Raymond Liew Jin Pin’s When Two Flowers Meet, dancing ribbons form brief and delicate connections.
Curious visitors can “befriend” a chatbot in the interactive installation Be mAI friend.
Kristy Nataraja’s animated dance Transpersonal leads into the Africa and Oceania collections of the Ethnological Museum.
In the foyer, Li Binyuan’s performance Plaza invites everyone to recognize a familiar person using nothing but their voice.
Curator Tours
Curators guide visitors through the three exhibitions: Nothing as Our Ground, Making Kin, and Family Matters.
In Conversation
Theo and Ernest Thiesmeier present their new film Becoming a Family. The premiere is accompanied by a conversation with Theo Thiesmeier’s entire patchwork family.
Book prize winner Kim de l’Horizon speaks about their grandmother living with dementia, the culture of silence among mothers, and reads from their family narrative Bloodbook (2022).
Preparing food to suit someone’s wishes is a form of communication—join the conversation in the Cooking Box by the duo groundtable.
Children’s Programme
Most importantly: the children’s programme, which is just as enjoyable for adults. On May 1, there will be a concert featuring the passionate musician Suli Puschban.
With African Street Games, the Humboldt Forum transforms into a lively playground – indoors and outdoors.
In the Living Room, Black Dads Germany read from new books presented at the most recent Book-A-Thon at the Humboldt Forum.
The programme is rounded out by the popular multigenerational tour of the Family Matters exhibition and a Korean–German storytelling theatre.