Das Album.

In February 2024, Nicolai sought support from Göttingen Postkolonial. Before that, Nicolai had already raised funds for a potential exhibition from the organizers of the Science Year 2024. The idea developed into creating an exhibition in the Stadtlabor that shifted focus away from Theodor Schneemann and towards the history of those who are often overlooked in German museums—the colonized. We explicitly decided NOT to tell a purely perpetrator-centric story. To assist, we brought on board process facilitators Patricia Vester and Wilma Nyari, whose role was to support Nicolai in analyzing and handling the photographic material.

inadequate. The narratives were too uncritical and the symbols for individuals were hurtful. Everything had to start over. We faced a significant question: How can we discuss this photo album? We also recognized the importance of addressing how families of former colonial soldiers and descendants of perpetrators remember this period. What stories exist within these families?
„The elephants on the shelf were always there, and only later did I notice that they stood in front of books from the 1930s, which themselves are totally unreflective. The whole thing has always been there and has gathered dust.“ — Nicolai
An initial meeting between Nicolai and Patricia took place in his grandmother’s now-emptied apartment. Patricia noticed the numerous postcolonial references through the savannah image and wooden elephants. We wanted to highlight and deconstruct the omnipresence of these narratives.

Due to our time constraints and a limited budget, we had to decide early on how the exhibition would look and what space it could occupy. We shifted from an initial stationary exhibition to a traveling one. We debated whether to print a large photo album or many small ones, or to focus more on discussing the living room and the act of remembering itself. What criteria must an exhibition meet to be mobile? Which locations should it include? At which places would we like to initiate discussions?
We decided that each team member would gather ideas and we would consult on them next time.
„I see this as a process. How can we share and display these things? It’s not so easy. And what can be shown? The act of showing is always a critical issue because it is so loaded and complicated due to so-called ethnological exhibitions…“ — Patricia Vester

In a meeting, Nicolai, Patricia, and Wilma agreed on the setup you see today. The option to choose which perspective to enter first was crucial to demonstrate that we actively engage with historical memory and the narratives associated with it.

By May, it was clear who would be included in the exhibition: Patricia and Wilma would create interventions, and Nicolai would tell the story of his family. What was still completely open was the photo of the Black woman named Bibi Symunza. We all agreed that she should be a part of the exhibition and be remembered. However, how—given that we only had her name and a rough timeframe of when she was around Dar es Salaam?
„We need to search for this woman and try to return this biography or images from this album because it has become clear, and I want to share this with you, that we cannot just open one narrative but must follow these biographies.“ — Patricia Vester
We were aware it would be an almost impossible task, but perhaps that’s why it was worth trying. To return the album and make it accessible to people in Dar es Salaam.
„It is always important to examine history from a critical power perspective. To show how power structures function and how they continue to impact Black people today.“ — Wilma Nyari
„It’s not so much about solving everything, I think. We don’t need to find answers to everything.“ — Patricia Vester
We began re-examining the images, deciding which photos to include and which not—long negotiation processes ensued. As both white and Black perspectives clashed, this process was challenging for everyone involved. In the end, Nicolai selected 30 images, many of which are featured in the exhibition. We dealt with image ethics, an area Nicolai and I still had much to learn about.
„For me, the photos represent quite an ambivalent behavior. For instance, considering that white people had themselves photographed with Black people, crossing with horses and zebras, but at the same time there should be no mixing of people, this behavior seems ambivalent to me.“ — Wilma Nyari

During our work on the exhibition, the film „The Empty Grave“ was released, which deeply affected many people and showcased mourning for lost individuals and histories in a way rarely depicted before. We had to fundamentally reconsider parts of our concept. How would we represent or make visible the Black individuals? After all, these images were likely taken against their direct consent by one of their oppressors. We questioned whether we even wanted to show them. But without them, the exhibition would again only be about a perpetrator.
„We could pixelate, cut out, or outline the people… In an appropriate color. What is the color of mourning in the region? In Tanzania?“ — Patricia Vester
We had to decide how to handle the design specifications from the Science Year 2024—Freedom. We also needed to decide how best to represent the living room, as it was a private space never intended for exhibition. Additionally, the vocabulary used was continually negotiated until the end.

The largest portion of the work in an exhibition goes into the concept—i.e., HOW to present WHAT. Once these parameters are negotiated, the rest moves relatively quickly. By this point, you have already delved into the content and just need to formulate the texts. After several rounds of corrections, it goes to formatting and printing. The corrections were completed on July 30, 2024.

At a certain point, the exhibition is printed and placed in a space where you can view it. Your role in reading the texts, viewing the images, and listening to the audio is part of the exhibition’s development. By bringing what you have learned here into your everyday life and discussing it with others, you actively contribute to the exhibition. An exhibition doesn’t end when you leave the space… it actually begins then.