There are a whole host of things happening at the Goethe-Institut this autumn, with workshops, concerts and a film festival to celebrate 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“The idea of our series of cultural events in September and October in Bogota, organised by the Goethe-Institut and several local partners, is definitely not to ‘teach’ or to ‘showcase’”, enthuses Katja Kessing, director of Bogota’s Goethe-Institut.
She explains that the idea is to exchange ideas about how countries and societies can construct new identities and new cultural tendencies, even after decades of internal conflict, without losing history, memory and differences.
Illustration fans will want to check out the “Entreviñetas” comics exhibition from September 24 to 28, while music fans will definitely want to see German reggae band “Raggabund” on October 30. The institute will also host various cultural events, with the “Semana de la Memoria” photography exhibition from October 1 to 10 and urban art project “Calle 22” from October 1 to 4.
“‘Calle 22’ is a very ambitious project with artistic interventions along the whole street in Bogota – including very brilliant, emerging artists from Germany and Colombia such as Leyla Cárdenas, Felipe Arturo, Julius von Bismarck and Aram Bartholl,” Kessing tells us.
She adds, “The street is a sort of “tableau” encompassing Bogota’s past, present and future, including the very different people, professionals and generations that you find in this metropolis.”
Film lovers will be pleased to hear that the institute will be hosting its second German film festival, “Alemanía” from September 2 to 9 across Bogota. The event also marks the 70th anniversary of well known director Wim Wenders.
Kessing is excited about the possibility for the festival. She thinks that contemporary Colombian cinema is like German cinema in that it is now emerging from the shadow of neighbouring countries. “Now the reputations of both countries are getting stronger at international film festivals, which is great – and definitely merited!”
