On June 18, 2025, the Dynamic Memory Lab exhibition “Cycles of Decolonisation” was opened in the garden of the Goethe-Institut Madrid as part of the 3rd Deconfining Conference “Towards pluralistic voices – On funding systems and the work on archives in European-African cultural relations.”
A key societal challenge of our time lies in the critical engagement with European colonial history and ongoing decolonial processes. This is precisely where the exhibition “Cycles of Decolonisation” by the Dynamic Memory Lab begins. The Dynamic Memory Lab is a modular exhibition structure dedicated to themes of European memory culture. After its initial opening in Berlin in the spring, the Dynamic Memory Lab “Cycles of Decolonisation” is now on view at the Goethe-Institut Madrid. The opening took place on June 18 as part of the 3rd Deconfining Conference “Towards pluralistic voices – On funding systems and the work on archives in European-African cultural relations.” Artistic curator Cátia Severinoand CPPD curator Max Czollek participated in panel discussions and introduced the concept of the Dynamic Memory Lab.
In her opening speech, co-curator Cátia Severino emphasized the exhibition’s focus on decolonisation as a concrete political practice. Remembering in the context of decolonisation, she stated, means not only looking back but above all listening actively: to what has been silenced; to voices that have been marginalised; to stories that have been suppressed; and to the power structures that continue to exert influence today. This is precisely what the Dynamic Memory Lab sets out to do: to create a space for dialogue. “This exhibition is not the end of a conversation – it is an opening.”
This central theme is also reflected in the regional expansion of the exhibition in Madrid: in collaboration with Spanish partner organisations Conciencia Afro and Osikán Vivero de Creación e Imaginación Social, works developed through artistic residencies were integrated into the exhibition. The performances opened up contemporary perspectives on colonial violence, racialised labour relations, suppressed narratives, and practices of remembrance.
These core topics were taken up and further developed in the context of the Deconfining Conference, particularly through the question of how European cultural funding and archival practices must be shaped in order to dismantle postcolonial power asymmetries. The panel discussions also highlighted the need for long-term, transparent funding structures to empower local actors and initiatives and ensure their independence. Central to this is the establishment of an understanding of archives as living spaces of exchange that allow for disruption and continue to evolve.
In his concluding remarks, CPPD curator Max Czollek presented the work of the CPPD as a European network for artistic, civil society, and educational practice. Czollek emphasised the importance of approaching plurality with a critical awareness of power.
The Dynamic Memory Lab “Cycles of Decolonisation” will remain open to visitors in the garden of the Goethe-Institut Madrid until the end of August 2025.
