In celebration of the Black history history ISD bund e.V. has collaborated with Thabo Thindi (filmmaker + Photographer ) on a street Photography intervention which can be seen in the streets of Berlin as from the 17 February and at the Dekoloniale space in Wilhelmstr. 92 also in Berlin. This is where the 1884 Berlin Congo conference took place now occupied by https://www.dekoloniale.de
The online exhibition can be visited through the following links:
Black faces in white? space_________________________
as we continue to occupy the space and normalise the visibility + presence of Black people in Germany.
as we continue to occupy the space and normalise the visibility + presence of Black people in Germany.
.
.
Germany refuses to acknowledge, from the political level + socially of course that racism is a vicious pandemic that exist and as such needs urgent attentive + robust social + political intervention.
Shamelessly without a drop of guilt blood, through generations this country continues to damage the credibility by criminalising the image of black people and thus continuing centuries long violation of the basic humans rights of people of color. Racism is a „white“ construct to benefit the „whites”, there is no question about this fact. „Whites“ have to acknowledge this and take responsibility of their criminal benefit. Its simply just not enough to not be racist, everybody has to be anti racism. After all racism has been taught and can be unlearned.
.
„Black faces in white? space“ is an online + street photography intervention which challenges + interrogates the reluctance of Germany to deal with its structural, social + political racism. To this day despite centuries of visible black existence in this country (i.e.Anton Wilhelm Amo who lived here in the 1770’s), Germany refuses to acknowledge its people of color as integral part of this society. It alienates and position people of color as the „other“ who don’t belong. It has created this box and identity for such faces. This unwarranted rejection has sadly robbed many people of their identity and left them swirling in confusion of darkness about who they are and where they belong. By continuously and strategically positioning people of color as the “other” this country condones and in fact justifies psychological, emotional and economical violence, people of color endure in this country. Germany continues to thrive on the humiliation, abuse and exploitation of the black body.
.
By rightfully occupying the space(public and otherwise) thus normalising the visibility + presence of people of color in Germany, “Black faces in white? space” photography intervention serves to demystify the notion of the “other” to break the circle of black oppression. This is a call for the “whites” to take a rear view look in the mirror and see what damage lies behind their deeds.
.
.
Through “Black faces in white? space” photography intervention in public space (streets) and online (public) Thabo Thindi invites individual members of the human society to pause for a moment to examine and reflect on how black lives has been tortured, murdered, enslaved, dehumanised and robbed of everything human for centuries and to this day we still continue to scream for our right to life.
.
.
.