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It’s Our Construction Site Too!
176 Children Take Over the Humboldt Forum

14.10.2018 to 16.12.2018
Humboldt-Box

Dominican monastery, Berlin Palace, parade ground, Palast der Republik, interim use, cultural building site – there is scarcely another place in Berlin where the past 800 years of social, urban, political and cultural history can be witnessed in such a compressed form as today’s Palace Square. The Humboldt Forum will usher in yet another chapter in the location’s eventful history.

Taking this major building site in central Berlin as their starting point, 176 children and young people from eight Berlin schools have explored the past, present and future of the location with twenty-nine international artists and a whole array of experts – and in their many different ways they have taken over the Humboldt Forum.

Chamber of Art and Curiosities, Time Machine and Film Documentary

In eight modules, installations from the fields of film, sound, performance, sculpture and collage as well as architectural and everyday objects will facilitate a playful exploration of the eventful history of the site and allow an interactive approach to the Humboldt Forum. Visitors can, for instance, realize their own ideas about collections in a modern chamber of art and curiosities, find out about the history of the location in a time machine, define the term “open space” in their own forum, use dance and movement to bring to life the buildings of the Berlin City Palace and the Palast der Republik or immerse themselves in a “building site symphony” of images and sound. In addition, life-size eagles made of plaster, silicon and sandstone will make craftsmanship tangible to visitors, while sound installations and large-format film documentaries will allow sound spaces to be experienced.

The participants’ highly individual statements and approaches will be presented in the theme rooms and supplemented by short texts written by many different authors. With personal insights from the children and statements by directors, architects, exhibition organizers and many other experts the exhibition will offer a complete narrative from a variety of surprising perspectives.

“Experience the Exhibition” Tours and Drop-in Workshops

A varied educational programme for children and young people – and adults too – will accompany the exhibition. From Monday to Friday kindergarten groups and school classes can book “experience the exhibition” tours specially designed for their respective age-group and particular needs. After 3 pm and all day at the weekend the “experience the exhibition” tours will also be bookable for adults. Public drop-in workshops for young and old alike will take place every Sunday – you’re very welcome to join in spontaneously!

The exhibition has been organized by the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, curated by Salapanga – Kinder.Kunst.Kultur in cooperation with the Ethnologisches Museum and the Museum für Asiatische Kunst of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the Stadtmuseum Berlin and the Kulturprojekte Berlin, the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.

Schlossplatz 5
10178 Berlin

Bus 100, 200, TXL
S-Bahn Haltestelle Hackescher Markt
U-Bahn Haltestelle Spandauer Str. / Marienkirche

Sun 10:00 - 19:00
Mon 10:00 - 19:00
Tue 10:00 - 19:00
Wed 10:00 - 19:00
Thu 10:00 - 19:00
Fri 10:00 - 19:00
Sat 10:00 - 19:00

Opening times on public holidays Opening Hours