Diversity as Narrative, Diversity as Reality: Representing the Contemporary Make-Up of the City of Berlin in the Museum für Islamische Kunst - Developing Diversity at the Museum für Islamische Kunst

With the project Diversity as Narrative, Diversity as Reality, the Museum für Islamische Kunst (Museum for Islamic Art) is seeking to ensure that the diversity of Berlin’s urban population, which has always been shaped by migration, will become a permanent feature of the museum’s work.

Through a specific thematic focus and the establishment of participatory and reflexive formats and spaces as well as setting up collaborations with stakeholders in Berlin, the Museum aims to increase the inclusion and recognition of perspectives and voices from the local community within the institution. In doing so, these perspectives and positions will be more strongly integrated into the Museum’s work and into a whole range of areas, thus strengthening the cultural and socio-political participation of groups that have previously been neglected.

In particular, the Museum hopes to reach more residents of Berlin with biographical connections to the cultural and art-historical objects or the regions of origin of objects in the collection.

By actively reaching out to the people of Berlin's and establishing contacts with different groups and communities, the Museum aims to collectively explore opportunities for cooperation and to shed light on relevant subjects and perspectives that have not yet been considered.

The implementation of the project Diversity as Narrative, Diversity as Reality has several starting points. First of all, an advisory board will be established whose composition will represent the diversity of contemporary Berlin, with its different perspectives and backgrounds. Secondly, a series of events on different issues linked to diversity will seek to make the topic more visible in the work of the Museum. As well as this, we plan to implement projects promoting participation in, and access to, the Museum.

In this way, as a public space, the Museum für Islamische Kunst hopes to represent Berlin’s diverse society and to showcase different perspectives on the work of the Museum and its unique collection, with which many Berliners share a connection through their personal biographies.

Team: 360° agents: Nushin Atmaca and Dolly Abdul Karim
Funded: Funded by the programme 360° - Fonds für Kulturen der neuen Stadtgesellschaft der Kulturstiftung des Bundes
Duration: 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2023