Jana Barthel / The Musem of the History of Mankind
June 10–July 9, 2016
images credits: Roman Caesar, Jana Barthel
The Museum of the History of Mankind is the first and one-of-a-kind in Neukölln opening at ZÖNOTÉKA this summer. Artist and scenographer Jana Barthel has assembled, seized and replicated universal collection mechanisms and display strategies. To embrace the field of global self-reflection and musealization, she will be joined by thinkers, performers and creative workers: Offering a wealth of knowledge, surprising facts and rare insights into the lesser-known complexities of our very own species.
Visitors are invited to discover the recently installed exhibitions on two floors: Some of the greatest achievements of mankind – Domestication, Decoration, Depression and on the second floor Love, Work and Hobbies – Doing the human thing. Nevertheless these appear as associative leaps striving to resist the narrowing processes of categorization.
Our greatest asset remains an innate sense of curiosity and wonder about ourselves in a period that is post-historic, yet, at the same time, stuck in an eternal craving for the past.
“We have a lot of fun here at the Museum; we thankfully never stop learning and sometimes even get a little goofy about new discoveries – whether brought to our attention by a guest, gleaned from our own research, or found within the larger scientific world. Come see us; you’ll be glad you did!”