Learning from the Desert – Das Wissen der Wüste

The inhabitants of the Negev Desert have struggled with extreme weather conditions for centuries. Yet over generations, they have learned how to adapt to the uncertainty and instability that comes with such an extreme climate. The joint exhibition and research project by the Center for Art and Urbanistics (ZK/U) and the Israeli curator Hadas Kedar focuses on the knowledge of these desert communities in the Negev region.  
Having devoted many years to the desert communities in Negev, Kedar has developed a curatorial approach that comprises the methods of collecting, preserving and exhibiting immaterial cultural practices, such as oral tradition, customs and rituals. In cooperation with the research platform NUR (Negev Urban Research), she designs spaces of experience where the immaterial knowledge of these communities becomes visible and negotiable. Her aim is to learn from these desert communities and introduce Berlin audiences to how they have met the challenges of climate change.
The planned exhibition at the ZK/U will be supplemented with works by international artists, such as Sigalit Landau and Pinhas Cohen Gan. The exhibition is part of the ZK/U’s “Planetary Agencies” series and will feature an extensive accompanying programme.

Artistic director: Matthias Einhoff  
Curator: Hadas Kedar