Material: bronze/ earthenware pots/ earth
Location: partially embedded into the entrance ground between the two main buildings

EarthNest is a work of decolonial healing, a communal temple that brings communities together to reclaim their history. Its underground section will host ancestral soils from former colonies, and its aerial cone will be illuminated in violet hues. Communities from former colonies will be invited to celebrate e.g. the unveiling of the artwork. Together the artists will collect »soil stories« that will be ritually told and placed in traditional earthenware jars. There will also be a Podcast about these stories.

The womb-like form, inspired by Musgum architecture, consists of a woven structure similar to the nest of African weaver birds. The nest conveys the relationship between earth and sky, and the flow of time. In caring for ancestral soils, the artists cultivate the hope of other possible futures, learning from the weaver birds as messengers from the Global South. EarthNest decolonizes the Western logic of the imperial monument and its affirmation of male sovereignity. Instead of placing a patriarchal monument on a higher plane, like those erected by conquerors, the artists chose to weave a monument partially underground, connecting to earth while embracing the lightness of the air that flows through its open structure. The nested monument consists of bronze stems woven with repurposed bronze. Rather than extraction, it repurposes to honor the peoples and territories that have suffered the violence and erasure of colonialism.

The artists envision that the people of Berlin, those who live and work in the neighborhood, will be able to pass through, sit inside, and share food in their daily lives. It will also become an important place of remembrance and gathering. The artists envision a living monument that honors and preserves the memories of our ancestors and dreams of a world where many worlds can flourish.

Link to Artist page