Berlin inaugurates its first memorial for decolonization

Berlin has inaugurated its first memorial site dedicated to decolonial resistance.

The work of art, titled "EarthNest," was designed by The Lockward Collective, and is installed in front of the Berlin Global Village, a center in the district of Neukölln that houses around 50 development policy and migrant-diasporic associations and initiatives working on various topics of global justice, sustainability and diversity.

The decolonization monument will be opened to the public as of November 15 — a date that also marks a historical event that would forever shift international power relations: The Berlin Conference, also known as the "Congo Conference," was held 140 years ago, on November 15, 1884.

At the conference, Europe's imperialist powers came together to negotiate the division of Africa. Concluding with the signature of a General Act on February 26, 1885, the colonialists sealed their occupation rights and devised their rules for trade on the continent.

The memorial provides a symbol of remembrance, and aims to serve as a platform for dialogue and exchange dedicated to healing and reconciliation, honoring the peoples and territories that suffered or are still affected by the violence of colonialism.

An audio series will allow visitors to listen to the stories and experiences of communities from former colonies.

International competition for memorial work

The design for the memorial was selected from among 244 submissions in a worldwide, open and anonymous art competition. The competition and the realization of the artwork were accompanied by an extensive educational program on decolonization.

The jury, led by Nigerian artist and art historian Chika Okeke-Agulu and Colombia-born artist Maria Linares, selected the winning design in January 2024.

The Lockward Collective is composed of artists Jeannette Ehlers, a Copenhagen-based artist of Danish and Trinidadian descent, and patricia kaersenhout, a multimedia artist of Surinamese descent, based in Amsterdam and France. They worked in collaboration with advisor Rolando Vazquez and architect Max Bentler as the technical advisor. 

The Lockward Collective: (from right to left) Jeannette Ehlers, patricia kaersenhout and advisor Rolando VazquezImage: Sedat Mehder

The artists describe the structure of their bronze installation as symbolizing "a communal temple that believes in bringing communities together, gathering memories and recollecting what has been dismembered by colonial erasures."

In an underground section of the work, they have included ancestral soils of the former colonies. The weaved aerial cone, illuminated in violet tones, stands for "the power of healing the colonial wound," the artists explained.

Political support in decolonization process

At the inauguration ceremony held on November 14, Claudia Roth, Minister of State for Culture, emphasized the importance of the memorial for Germany's culture of remembrance: "The decolonial memorial will make an important contribution to addressing our colonial past and its consequences for the present, and I am glad to have supported the project — financially, and ideologically." The federal government contributed to the funding of the competition, mediation program and public relations work with €750,000 ($790,000).

"EarthNest is a powerful symbol for a new culture of remembrance in our city. Berlin is taking on a pioneering role in the decolonization of public space and we are proud to have supported this project," said Sarah Wedl-Wilson, Berlin's State Secretary at the Senate Department of Culture. The State of Berlin provided another €750,000 for construction of the artwork.

It is a "living memorial that brings people together and promotes decolonial dialogue," added Akinola Famson, member of the board of the Berlin Global Village. The work is also "a milestone for the diaspora communities and creates a space that stimulates reflection and anchors the topic of decolonization of North-South relations in Berlin in the long term."

Edited by Tanya Ott