How do we actually address what we commonly refer to as ‘the other’? Students of the subjects of General Studies, art and German language and literature have explored this question – and approached ‘the other’, this cultural construct, through art.
They are presenting their findings in the exhibition ‘Das andere Du’ – Phenomena of the ‘Other’ in Non-Fiction Children’s and Young Adult Literature at the Oldenburg Children’s and Young Adult Book Fair (KIBUM).
The students collaborated on this project with pupils from Haarentor Primary School. Guided by Dr Ines Oldenburg from the Institute of Educational Sciences and by Thomas Robbers from the Institute of Art and Visual Culture, they tell stories on the theme of ‘Being Different – Being a Stranger’, the creative process of which is documented in the exhibition. Other parts of the exhibition include a children’s book on the cultural heritage of the Yagan, a water-nomadic tribe from Chile, which students wrote under the guidance of education expert Prof. Dr Astrid Kaiser. There are also three-dimensional spaces and installations that invite visitors to decipher them and play – developed by participants in an art practice seminar led by Sabine Wallach, who explored the question of how the media shape prejudices.
A collection rounds off the exhibition. It was curated by Mareile Oetken, the university’s coordinator for research into children’s and young adult literature; the starting point was the question of how non-fiction books actually report on foreign places, things and people – and thus create worlds of the ‘other’ and the ‘foreign’.
The exhibition can be viewed from 3 to 12 November, 10.00 to 18.00, at the Artothek (Peterstr. 1). Admission is free.
