Landscape and its vegetation only appears to be natural, while in fact it’s impacted by power and violence. The Land of Hornkranz in present day Namibia, formerly a German colony, suffered damage after the attack of the Schutztruppe in 1893. But also the colonial entanglements of Chemnitz, its citizens and industrialists are rendered invisible whilst traces of it continue in the city. This workshop invites participants to think together about the effects of colonialism and environmental degradation, emphasizing the importance of decolonial ecological thinking in inspiring new forms of environmental awareness. Participants will be guided through an analysis of how German colonial systems of extraction, land control, and cultural domination started in the late 1800s contributed to biodiversity loss and ecological disturbances in Namibia today while also reflecting the parallel colonial history of Chemnitz. During the workshop theory and technological tools will be presented that have aided in the reconstruction of Forensic Architecture’s investigation of Hornkranz, which is currently on show as an exhibition in Chemnitz. By visiting its sites and traces during a walk through the city we will bring the participation and complicity of Chemnitz in the colonialism of the German Reich.
Mushiva is a Berlin-based Namibian multidisciplinary technologist and artist whose work recasts technology as a new toolfor radical black thought. Mushiva currently works as computational researcher at the investigative agency Forensis / Forensic Architecture where he investigates the impact of colonialism on ecological factors using remote sensing tools.
Stephan Schurig is a research assistant at the Chair of Human Geography with a focus on European Migration Studies at Chemnitz University of Technology. His PhD deals with the (in)visibilities of colonial entanglements of the city of Chemnitz. He is a member of the network ‘Sachsen postkolonial’ and has previously worked with student groups and experimental spatial mapping methods on the subject.
The workshop and walk will be in English. A German translation can be provided if necessary.
