Heimat –
Nostalgia or New Beginning?
Interactive Engagement with the Theme of "Heimat"
February 2024
with Kristina Chudzik, Florian Gmeiner, Lena Hacker, Zoé Neves,
Xiao Ni, Karina Pamatath, Phuong An Phi, Erika Schewtschenko, Julia
Sniaschek, Julia Späth, Clara Stahlhut, Celina Tönnies and
Dominik Wölfle
Concept, Exhibition Design, Communication
Student Project
Thinking
The German term "Heimat" could be translated to "Home", but means much more than this. It is difficult to define and usually exists somewhere between warmth, home, roots, and belonging. Despite its positive connotations, the term is a loaded and polarizing word due to its controversial history and proximity to right-wing ideologies.
That’s why my fellow students and I set ourselves the goal of rethinking and redefining the term “Heimat” together with the visitors of the semester exhibition in February 2024 at HS Pforzheim.
We created a 130 cm high rock out of plaster as a symbol for the current associations with the term "Heimat": heavy, almost untouchable, and rough. Together, visitors were invited to literally break free and shape a new definition of "Heimat".
Exhibition
To create a suitable environment, we built a room within a room out of wood and fabric. The atmosphere of the room was intended to be warm and cozy, inviting many people to work together on the concept of "Heimat".
Audio tape
In addition to the visual and interactive elements of the exhibit, an audio tape was played during the exhibition, showcasing the diverse definitions of "Heimat". The recordings were sourced from street interviews.
In the end, visitors succeeded in liberating the new concept of "Heimat". We interpreted "Heimat" abstractly as a light installation and hid it inside the plaster rock.
Visuals
A visual identity was created around the exhibition, centered on the tools of hammer and chisel, which visitors used together to shape the concept of "Heimat". The flyers distributed throughout the city beforehand allowed people to grasp the tools without revealing what would actually await them at the exhibition.
Who did what?
MACD 2024
Concept, exhibition planning and setup
Kristina Chudzik and Me
Visual communication
Xiao Ni, Karina Pamatath and Me
Audio, interviews