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Beyond Zarkashat Turathia: Connected Through Collections

This project will develop an online exhibition based on the Syria collections of the Ethnologisches Museum. Inspired by items from the existing collection (objects, images and music), new works will be created in collaboration with contemporary artists.

The new digital exhibition builds on the participatory project „Can Heritage Objects Represent a Homeland?“ and the exhibition „From... to...Zarkashat Turathia". Since 2017, a participatory project has been taking place at the Ethnologisches Museum in collaboration with Berlin-based Syrians, exploring the museum’s objects, historical images and media.

The outcomes of this multi-year participatory research project years have informed the museum’s 2022 activities. The holdings of the Syrian collections will be re-contextualised from different perspectives. To this end, further collaborations with partners from Syria living in Berlin and a new, small group of artists is planned. The results will be presented at a public event and will inform the planned online exhibition.


Institution: Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Project director: Mariam Bachich, M.A.
Project team: Dr Andrea Scholz, Dr Maurice Mengel, Dr Melanie Krebs
Syrian project partners in Berlin: Dr Swiess Al-Battman, Jehan Daoud, Tamara Duedari, Dima Nassar, Salah Hebbo, Yeser Al-Amin (Union der Syrischen Studenten und Akademiker e.V. (USSA)), Dr Yasser Al-Hamwi (Homs League Abroad e. V.) and Dr Ahmad Al-Rawi (Syrian International Geography Network). Nassar Alamaa, Mohamad Barakat, Zina Hmidan, Yara Almkahhal, Mahmoud Schikhani, Bhzad Suliman.
Project duration: January to December 2022