Reflections on Colonial Heritage

Participatory Art Exhibition on Colonial Heritage

Cilgia Rageth's project serves as a reminder that the past is far from over, challenges us to confront structural racism as an integral part of our cultural identity, and invites us to share our own experiences and thoughts.

This outdoor installation is a participatory project that will tour for several years. It will be set up in 50 locations throughout Switzerland, representing the four regions, offering works based on the themes of the lives of mercenaries, human zoos, and colonial exhibitions. The journey will then include stops throughout Germany up to Hamburg, along the route of former ethnological shows. The idea for this project was born 20 years ago when Cilgia Rageth began researching the Swiss mercenary system and international human zoos. The concrete implementation idea came to her in 2019, and since then, she has been working on realizing her project. Due to the increasing significance of the Black Lives Matter movement worldwide and in Switzerland, the installation is becoming more and more relevant. The goal of the traveling installation is to raise awareness among as many people as possible about the history of mercenaries and human zoos. The project serves as a visual impulse for a confrontation process with our colonial heritage. People start reading and learning excerpts about the history of our mercenary system, international human zoos, and Switzerland's involvement in slavery.

Sharing one's own experiences and reflections on the subject is both the goal and a part of the installation. Visitors can send their texts to meinereaktion2020@gmail.com. These will then be transferred onto a transparent film and added to the installation.