Dynamic Memory Lab — Exhibition

»Cycles of Decolonisation«

The immersive exhibition »Cycles of Decolonisation«, curated by Cátia Severino and André Soares, reflects on how the legacies of European colonialism and the challenges of mental decolonisation continue to shape relationships among peoples and cultures in Europe. Colonisation is examined not as a mere historical event but as a living structure that persists in contemporary inequalities and hierarchies within Europe.

In the first part, the exhibition examines five interrelated key concepts of colonisation as defined by the Portuguese artist Grada Kilomba, presented through various artistic contributions: Dehumanisation and Violence, Racialisation, Denied Memory, Displacement, and Silencing and Erasure.

The exhibition refers to the ongoing process of transforming mindsets, understanding one’s social standing, healing wounded memories, and embracing diverse identities. Recognising the colonial structures embedded in language, culture, and thought is a crucial first step toward dismantling them in today’s supposedly “post-colonial” world.

»Cycles of Decolonisation« invites visitors to engage actively in fostering dialogue, promoting critical awareness, and taking meaningful steps toward justice and human dignity. It encourages questioning established histories, listening to neglected narratives, and creating space for diverse perspectives.

The exhibition inspires collective efforts to build a more inclusive and plural future grounded in equitable relationships and respect for difference.

After the official opening in March 2025 in Berlin, the exhibition was shown at the Goethe-Institut Madrid in summer 2025 and will open in Lisbon in April 2026.

The Folder for the Dynamic Memory Lab »Cycles of Decolonisation«:

> Download Folder (Portugisisch)

»Nước Đức. Vietnamese-German Migration Hi | Stories«

The Dynamic Memory Lab »Nước Đức« explores Vietnamese-German migration history and how we remember, narrate, suppress, and silence the past.

At the project’s heart are the memories and experiences of the Vietnamese-German community. These span decades and bear the marks of escape and contract labour, the divide between North and South Vietnam, East and West Germany, and histories of violence and self-empowerment. The Dynamic Memory Lab »Nước Đức« connects experiences that are rarely seen together, despite being deeply intertwined.

Together, these narratives form a memory landscape shaped by Cold War politics and the post-reunification era. Like a compass, this landscape reveals both ideological ruptures and biographical connections.

Curators Dan Thy Nguyen and Nina Reiprich bring to-gether contributions from artists and activists of the younger Vietnamese-German generation. They approach this history from multiple perspectives. Through artistic works, personal texts and interview excerpts, contributors trace the complexity of Vietnamese- German experiences, exposing contradictions, breaks and silences.

The opening of the Dynamic Memory Lab »Nước Đức« is part of the decentralised heimaten festival. The heimaten network is an initiative of the House of World Cultures within the framework of heimaten, funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media based on a resolution by the German Bundestag.

The DML ‘nước Đức’ will open on 20 September 2025 as part of the heimaten festival, accompanied by workshops, panel discussions and artistic interventions.

With works from Phuong Dan, KI Bui, Minh Duc Pham, Nhi Le and many more.

The booklet for the Dynamic Memory Lab »Nước Đức«:

>Download English Booklet

>Download Vietnamese Booklet

©Fotos: Natalia Reich

©Video: Andreas Daniel Jakob

»Codes of Memory in Sinti- und Roma Communities«

Curated by Hamze Bytyçi, theatre and media pedagogue and president of RomaTrial e.V., the first Dynamic Memory Lab made »Codes of Memory in Roma* and Sinti* Communities« visible, commemorated them in the exhibition context, and reconfigured them in the process. The participatory design of the Dynamic Memory Lab invited visitors to the exhibition, as bearers of memory, to reflect upon their codes of memory, to share their stories, and to locate them within the framework of our plural societies.

The Dynamic Memory Lab »Codes of Memory in Roma* and Sinti* Communities« was first opened in collaboration with RomaTrial e.V. in Berlin in August 2023 on Roma Holocaust Memorial Day and was shown in various European locations, including St. Pölten, Madrid, Nurnberg and Neumünster.