Past Statements—Present Futures

On October 7 and 8, 2022 Haus der Kunst, in collaboration with the City Department of Arts and Culture of the City of Munich and Freispiel Kulturagentur, will host the forum “Past Statements—Present Futures.” Convened by Cana Bilir-Meier & Saboura Naqshband, Romi Crawford and Nadja Ofuatey-Alazard as well as Emma Enderby, Damian Lentini and Andrea Lissoni from Haus der Kunst), the forum will critically examine recent debates concerning the question of whether the monuments in our cities are in fact truly representative of our contemporary ideals. With both a transnational perspective and focus on the city of Munich, the forum seeks to foreground the notion of memory as something that is both active and that which is constantly up for debate.

Presenting artists and thinkers who feature prominently within their respective programmes, the forum allows both organisations to act as hosts: facilitating a space in which the public and key practitioners are able to meet, debate and exchange ideas. In creating such a place of encounter, and by focusing on present and future modes of memory, “Past Statements—Present Futures“ hopes to draw upon and uncover postcolonial, migratory, vagrant and displaced narratives which further define and enrich collective acts of remembering within the public sphere.

Programme highlights

Panel 1
“Zwischenwelten / In-Between Worlds”
Friday, October 7, 2022, 12:30–3pm
Covened by Cana Bilir-Meier & Saboura Naqshband and featuring: Gürsoy Doğtaş; Samet Leyla; Leyla Jagiella; Nabila Abdel Aziz; Gisela Kollmann; Sandra Chatterjee; and Arko Mukhaerjee

Panel 2
“Black Arts Movement School Modality On Alternative Monument Making”
Friday, October 7, 2022, 4–7pm     
A hybrid online and in-person workshop convened by Romi Crawford and featuring: Romi Crawford; Abiodun Oyewole; Robert Earle Paige; Fred Moten; Stefano Harney; Mechtild Widrich; Faheem Majeed; Cauleen Smith; and Val Gray Ward

For information on the online participation, please, visit our website.

Panel 3
“Movement, Environment, AR”
Saturday, October 8, 2022, 10:30am–1pm
Convened by Haus der Kunst and featuring: Farhad Khalid & Mikala Hyldig Dal; Marina Pugliese; and Sandra Beate Reimann

Panel 4
“On Nature and Culture of Memory”
Saturday, October 8, 2022, 2:30–5pm
Convened by Nadja Ofuatey-Alazard and featuring: Ibou Diop; Dan Hicks; Anna Yeboah; Tapiwa Guzha; and Nicolas Premier

Panel 5
“Transmissions”
Saturday, October 8, 2022, 6–8:30pm
Convened by Haus der Kunst and featuring: Tony Cokes; Olaf Nicolai; and Dana Kavelina

On Sunday, October 9, 2022 there will be a walk with artist talks on the “past statements” art projects in public space.

An event organised by the Munich City Department of Arts and Culture and Haus der Kunst.

Conceptual advice and production management Sara Mack & Sarah Bergh/freispiel Kulturagentur.

The event is part of the program “past statements” by Public Art München and of the Institute of City History and Cultures of Remembrance at the Munich City Department of Arts and Culture, featuring interventions in public space and local debates.