All events as well as further interviews, online exhibitions and essays are documented and published on the accompanying TALKING OBJECTS BLOG.
On 31 October 2026, UNEXPECTED LESSONS – Knowledges of Body and Sound presents #5 THE RESONATING BODY – Writing and Orality. Together with Alvin Tran, emet ezell, Melanie Jame Wolf, and Celina Baljeet Basra, the evening explores how writing becomes bodily — and how it translates into choreography,… Read more
The series UNEXPECTED LESSONS – Knowledges of Body and Sound moves forward on 11 September 2026 with #3 RETHINKING DANCE IN ACADEMIA, presented as part of the 20 Years of Radialsystem anniversary programme and guided by the question “How Dance Rewrites Research.” Read more
The series UNEXPECTED LESSONS – Knowledges of Body and Sound continued on 1 & 2 August 2026 as part of Radialsystem’s festival “wielding fissures – carving cracks in the surface of the now”. #2 MUSIC AS RESISTANCE opened a space which forparticipants to a shared listening session and a Dabke dance… Read more
The series “UNEXPECTED LESSONS – Knowledges of Body and Sound” kicked off with an opening programme from May 24 to 27, 2026, centred around the solo performance “Somewhere at the Beginning” by Germaine Acogny—an icon of African contemporary dance—accompanied by workshops, talks, and the Berlin… Read more
With Aida Baghernejad, emet ezell, Emilia Roig, hn.lyonga & David Odiase, Joe Otim Dramiga, Lene Albrecht, Mithu Sanyal, and Sinthujan Varatharajah. Read more
TALKING TO OBJECTS are performative conversations with objects from museum collections. Read more
We are pleased to share that the digital launch of the TALKING OBJECTS ARCHIVE took place on January 17, 2025. Read more
Screening of three video works from Uriel Orlow's Theatrum Botanicum series, followed by a conversation between the artist and Isabel Raabe. At Spore Initiative, Hermannstr. 86, 12051 Berlin. In English & free Admission. Read more
Sound Performance & Conversation with the Artist moderated by Ibou C. Diop. At the KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art (M0) Am Sudhaus 3, Berlin-Neukölln. In English & German, Free admission. Read more
Objects are archives — Memories and stories are stored in the object’s materiality and shape, in their traces of use and functions, in their sound and smell. How can we uncover this knowledge? The exhibition “The Cosmologies of Objects”, which opens on July 3 at KfW Villa 102 in Frankfurt, deals… Read more
The think tank in Frankfurt deals with the cosmologies of objects and focuses on three main topics materiality, spirituality and gendered objects. It takes place from the 3 July to the 6 July in Frankfurt am Main. Read more
Food and Discussions, in German and English. At Berlin Global Village, Am Sudhaus 2, 12053 Berlin. June 14, 18.00 h Read more
Das Imaginäre: Thematic tour with Jeanne Mizero Nzakizabandi (Art educator and curator, Frankfurt / Main) . At KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art (in the exhibition Ré-imaginer le passé, M2), Saturday, May 25. 14:00 h. Am Sudhaus 3, Berlin-Neukölln, In German. Free Admission + Registration needed. Read more
Internal TALKING OBJECTS ARCHIVE-Workshops with Groupe d'Action et d'Étude Critique Africa/GAEC at GAEC Community Centre, Saint-Louis, Senegal. Read more
As a partner in the development of the TALKING OBJECTS ARCHIVE, GAEC's project « Esprit des Objets - Objets des Esprit » deals with a collection of West African objects from the Musée Théodore Monod (Dakar) curated for the TALKING OBJECTS ARCHIVE. GAEC is establishing an exhibition « Les yeux de… Read more
“Critical thinking is the slow cooking of the soul”: Lecture by Nikita Dhawan (Political scientist, Berlin) and María do Mar Castro Varela (Political scientist, Berlin). At KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art (in the exhibition Ré-imaginer le passé, M2), Wednesday, May 8, 19:00 h. Am Sudhaus 3,… Read more
READING SESSION with C& Center of Unfinished Business. Moderated by Celina Baljeet Basra. At KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art (in the exhibition Ré-imaginer le passé, M2), Friday, April 26, 18:00 h. Am Sudhaus 3, Berlin-Neukölln. In German and English. Free admission. Read more
The TALKING OBJECTS ARCHIVE team based in Berlin and Nairobi came together for an internal workshop in Nairobi to further evolve the archive, with a particular focus on the challenges of communicating plural and non-hierarchical knowledge digitally. Read more
OBEAH: resurrection. Performance by Nathalie Anguezomo Mba Bikoro at KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art (M0), Wednesday, April 3, 19:00 h. Am Sudhaus 3, Berlin-Neukölln. In German and English. Free admission Read more
We are pleased to announce the latest TALKING OBJECT ARCHIVE residency with Karwitha Kirimi. Karwitha will contribute to the archive with their own artistic practise, which will be linked to objects from the TALKING OBJECTS ARCHIVE digital collection. Read more
We are pleased to announce the latest TALKING OBJECTS residency with Adam Yawe. He will contribute to the archive with his own artwork, which will be linked to objects from the TALKING OBJECTS ARCHIVE digital collection. Read more
Conversations with the artists and curators of the exhibition Ré-imaginer le passé at the KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art. Sunday, March 24, 14.30-16.30 h, Am Sudhaus 3, Berlin-Neukölln, Free Admission. Read more
The imaginary serves as a creative starting point for questioning and transforming existing realities– also in our extensive discursive program accompanying the exhibition. Save the dates! Read more
What futures are possible from our shared history? Which pasts deserve to be told? How can knowledge be questioned today? And why is knowledge a construction of world orders? These are the initial questions of the Ré-imaginer le passé project. Read more
As a prelude to the exhibition, the TALKING OBJECT LAB invites you to a film night that turns to lost knowledge and shared memories, and takes an Afrofuturistic look into the future... Read more
14th December, 18.00 h @Vierte Welt, Kottbusser Tor, Berin. For the LA PALABRE series, from July-December 2023, we invite Berlin-based researchers*, artists*, and activists to discuss the issues we have been working on over the past two years as part of TALKING OBJECTS, an artistic research project… Read more
“Ré-imaginer le passé” is more than just the two exhibitions in Dakar and Berlin — it is a long-term research journey, spanning several months. Read more
10th November, 18.00 h @Vierte Welt, Kottbusser Tor. For the LA PALABRE series, from July-December 2023, we invite Berlin-based researchers*, artists*, and activists to discuss the issues we have been working on over the past two years as part of TALKING OBJECTS, an artistic research project on… Read more
20th October, 18.00 h @Vierte Welt, Kottbusser Tor. For the »LA PALABRE« series, from July-December 2023, we invite Berlin-based researchers*, artists*, and activists to discuss the issues we have been working on over the past two years as part of TALKING OBJECTS, an artistic research project on… Read more
29th September, 18.00 h: »La Palabre« These are six evenings of decolonial theory and practice in Berlin-Kreuzberg, at the Vierte Welt at Kottbusser Tor, combining discussion and shared food. For the LA PALABRE series, from July-December 2023, we invite Berlin-based researchers*, artists*, and… Read more
1st September, 18.00 h: »La Palabre«. These are six evenings of decolonial theory and practice in Berlin-Kreuzberg, at the Vierte Welt at Kottbusser Tor, combining discussion and shared food. For the LA PALABRE series, from July-December 2023, we invite Berlin-based researchers*, artists*, and… Read more
14th July, 18.00 h @Vierte Welt, Kottbusser Tor, Berlin. An evening on decolonial theory and practice with Kavita Meelu, hn.lyonga, Celina Baljeet Basra, Daeng Khamlao and Magnus Elias Rosengarten. For the LA PALABRE series, from July-December 2023, we invite Berlin-based researchers*, artists*, and… Read more
25-27 Mai 2023, Musée Théodore Monod, Dakar. With / Avec Mame-Penda Bâ, Njoki Ngumi, Nikita Dhawan, Fatou Kandé Senghor, Alibeta, Rokhaya Fall, Laïty Fary Ndiaye, Renée Akitelek Mboya, amongst others / parmi d'autres. Le programme sera agrémenté d' interventions musicale. / The event is echoed by… Read more
May 22-24, 2023 in Dakar: Artistic LABoratory and exhibition project in Dakar and Berlin in the frame of TALKING OBJECTS LAB. Read more
As part of the exhibition "The Collection of Maximilian von Goldschmidt-Rothschild" at the Museum Angewandte Kunst, there will be a talk with Dr. Katharina Weiler (curator), Dr. Mahret Kupka and Isabel Raabe (both conception and curation, Talking Objects Lab) on Wednesday, April 26 at 6:30 pm. Read more
Panel Talks, Discussions and Artistic Interventions Friday, February 10, 2023, 4pm – 9pm in cooperation with Heinrich-Boell-Foundation Nigeria Read more
We are pleased to announce the most recent TALKING OBJECTS LAB residency at Musée Théodore Monod with Élise Fitte-Duval, who will be working with the collection of the museum for the forthcoming months. Read more
What is the potential of technology for African museums? How can a digital collection contribute to the mediation, re-evaluation, dissemination and research of objects? How to digitize, technically? And how to digitize, aesthetically? Read more
We are happy to announce the latest TALKING OBJECTS LAB residencies at the Musée Théodore Monod with Henri Sagna, who will work with the museum collection for the coming months. Read more
Awakening, nostalgia and nationalism, Orientalism and the mystification of nature — How did Romantic Europe look at the world? And how does Romanticism shape Europe's self-image today? Read more
TALKING OBJECTS LAB @Goethe Morph* Iceland. The three-day performative conference UNEXPECTED LESSONS #2 will take place as part of the festival Goethe Morph* Iceland at Nordic House in Reykjavik on September 13th - 15th, 2022. Read more
One-day workshop on 15 July 2022 on "Decolonizing Nature" with 15 experters from various fields to discuss about agriculture, food and related health systems, seed archives, climate change and landscpae as an archive of memories. Read more
Artist Residency /Presentation & Lecture Performance with Ibrahima Thiam on May 26th 2022 at Musée Théodore Monod in Dakar, Senegal. Read more
TALKING OBJECTS LAB is invited to create a Temporary Monument at Kottbusser Tor, Berlin – using the space of an advertising column. APRIL 26 - MAY 5, 2022. Read more
Starting with an interactive temporary monument at Kottbusser Tor, in 2022, Talking Object Lab's polyphonous projects will take place in Dakar, Nairobi and in Iceland, amongst others. Read more
A digital conversation in December 2021. With Njoki Ngumi, Jim Chuchu, Neo Musangi, Malick Ndiaye, Mahret Ifeoma Kupka and Isabel Raabe Read more
Discussion, Artistic Contributions and Music – Digital event in cooperation with 1014 – space for ideas, New York City (In English) – Registration for the livestream from Dec 1 under 1014.nyc Read more
A digital conversation on the digital in December 2021. With Chao Tayiana Maina, Erik Stein, Mahret Ifeoma Kupka, and Isabel Raabe. Read more
Discussion and Opening – Presentation by artist Viyé Diba within his residence at the Museum Théodore Monod. 4 December 2021, 17-19 h, Museum Théodore Monod in Dakar, Senegal. Read more
July 7, 7 pm. A talk in the frame of the exhibition "La lumière qui fait la bonheur..." by Georges Adéagbo (28 March - 25 July 2021 at KINDL — Centre for Contemporary Art, Berlin). Read more
The performative discursive event »UNEXPECTED LESSONS - Decolonizing Memory and Knowledge« took place on 11th and 12th of June 2021 in parallel in Akademie der Künste Berlin, Nairobi and the digital space. Read more