I walked into deeper into the room and found a piece by Katinka Bock’s which was a collection of interviews. He asked questions to 14 persons, who were born, grown up and educated in Germany in Europe, and then returned to Turkey. That is, they answers “emigrated again”. The questions had a wide range, for example difference of life between Germany and Turkey, how different the freedom was between them, and so on. It was conflict not as German or a Turk but as an individual, that emerged at there.

Katinka Bock

Harun Farocki displayed his piece of firm, which appeared images of immigrants, who appeared on print media like magazines, newspapers, language texts, booklets of immigration services and so on in Germany. There mainly screened bag, beard, sometimes woman with Hijab. These images didn’t come from Poland, Italy, and Denmark at all, but from Turkey or Middle East. I could understand well the situation around that kind of stereotype.

Shahram Entekhabi

Shahram Entekhabi’s piece also had the similar framework. His piece of installation for this exhibition featured the things that were linked to the Middle East, for example bag, turban, military clothing, and also oil tank, gun, grenade and so on. It was set in lockers in a room, like a dressing room, with a big mirror and light bulbs. They were as if they requested the visitors to put on that atmosphere.

Falk Haberkorn and Sven Johne

The collaboration between Falk Haberkorn and Sven Johne was also interesting. The title “Kaufkraft und Heimatgefuehl” means “Buying Power and the Feeling of Home”. Newspapers covered the wall. I looked at the headlines: “Young man joins SPD” and “No space left in the German market”, plus the impressive “Most Bang for the Buck with a Banquet of Goose”, personal ads and so on. I read articles one at a time and found that together, they generally depict a positive image for the country of Germany.

In addition, I saw pieces, which featured identity of nation and that of individual, with various perspectives. Sometimes, what nation was, was talked about, but I, facing a new community EU, strongly felt that a frame of nation was so fragile and sinful.

This Land Is My Land
Date: October 28th – December 3rd, 2006
Place: NGBK
Address: 25 Oranienstrasse, 10999 Berlin
Tel: +49 (0)30 616 513
http://ngbk.de