Exhibition Glossary

A movement in Western Europe and America in the late eighteenth to late nineteenth century that contributed significantly to the end of the slave trade and slavery. [1]

[1] "Abolitionism," in Britannica Academic.

The term refers to people of African descent who are now scattered worldwide.[1] The word "diaspora" comes from Greek and is made up of the two terms dia = "through" and spora = "sowing." [2]

[1] Peter Kuryla, "Pan-Africanism," in Encyclopedia Britannica.

[2] Carole Boyce Davies, "Introduction," in Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora: Origins, Experiences, and Culture Volume 1, ed. Carole Boyce Davies (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2008), xxxiiiV1.

The focus on African experiences and ideas that emerged in the context of decolonization during the nineteen-sixties. Afrocentrism is sometimes understood as a questioning of Eurocentrism, for example because members of the movement reject the European narrative of colonial rule. [1]

[1] Nic Cheeseman, Eloïse Bertrand and Sa'eed Husaini, "Afrocentrism," in A Dictionary of African Politics, (Oxford University Press, 2019).

A term for various resistance movements that campaigned against colonial rule and the exploitation it entailed.[1]

[1] James Tyner, "Anticolonialism," in Encyclopedia of Human Geography, ed. Barney Warf (Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2006), 11-12.

A term that has been used since the early twentieth century to describe artistic innovations that challenge and break with tradition.[1] An avant-garde is ascribed a pioneering role. In the exhibition catalog, curator Christian Kravagna defines the term avant-garde "[i]n the context of the anti-colonial and anti-racist movements of the twentieth century" as "a constellation of political, intellectual, and artistic projects and practices that aimed to overcome colonial domination, racial discrimination, and mental and cultural colonization."[2]

[1] Harold Osborne, "Avant-garde," in: The Oxford Companion to Western Art, ed. Hugh Brigstocke, Oxford University Press, 2001; Ian Buchanan, "avant-garde," in: A Dictionary of Critical Theory (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, 2018.

[2] Christian Kravagna, "Avant-Garde and Liberation," in: exhibition catalog for Avant-Garde and Liberation: Contemporary Art and Decolonial Modernism, S.26. 

Black feminism is committed to social justice for women of color. An awareness developed that Black women were underrepresented in mainstream feminism, which was dominated by white women, and in the male-dominated Black Nationalist movement.[1] As Black feminism emphasizes the connection between racial and sexist discrimination, it is therefore linked to ideas around intersectionality.

[1] Hollis France, "black feminism," in Encyclopedia of Women and American Politics, ed. Lynne E. Ford (New York: Facts on File, Inc., 2008), 62-63.

A political, social, cultural, and economic movement for Black self-determination in the United States that began in the mid-nineteen-sixties and continued until the early nineteen-seventies. [1]

[1] Mark A. Christian, "Black Power Movement," in Encyclopedia of Black Studies, ed. Molefi Kete Asante and Ama Mazama (Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2005), 144.

Decolonization describes the process by which colonized countries gained independence–at least officially–from colonial rule and the political and economic control associated with it.[1] This did not happen at the same time everywhere. Decolonization began as early as the nineteenth century in Latin America, while many African countries did not become independent until the 1960s.[2] The term was also used subsequently to describe overcoming colonial thought patterns and inequalities. [3]

[1] Nic Cheeseman, Eloïse Bertrand, and Sa'eed Husaini, "decolonization," in A Dictionary of African Politics, (Oxford University Press, 2019); "Decolonization," in Britannica Academic.

[2]Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, "Kolonialismus und Aufarbeitung der Vergangenheit," status: 20.07.2023.

[3] Nic Cheeseman, Eloïse Bertrand and Sa'eed Husaini, "decolonization," in A Dictionary of African Politics, (Oxford University Press, 2019).

The tendency to favor European cultural perspectives and consider these superior, along with a dismissive attitude towards other points of view.[1]

[1] Daniel Chandler and Rod Munday, "Eurocentrism," in A Dictionary of Media and Communication (3rd ed.), (Oxford University Press, 2020); Alisdair Rogers, Noel Castree and Rob Kitchin, "Eurocentrism," in A Dictionary of Human Geography, (Oxford University Press, 2013).

A totalitarian political mindset (ideology)–i.e. affecting all areas of life and enforced by violence and dictatorship[1]–that opposes democracy, liberalism and communism.[2] It is difficult to establish a clear definition of fascism, as there were pronounced differences between the twentieth-century regimes classed as fascist. Examples include Italian fascism under Benito Mussolini, German National Socialism, Austrofascism, Francisco Franco’s dictatorship in Spain, and the Japanese military dictatorship.[3]

[1] Entry on the German term "totalitär" ("totalitarian") in the Duden dictionary.

[2] Christopher Riches and Jan Palmowski, "Fascism," in A Dictionary of Contemporary World History (6th ed.), (Oxford University Press, 2021).

[3] Peter Höyng, "Faschismus? Zur Beliebigkeit eines politischen Begriffes by Anton Pelinka (review)," Journal of Austrian Studies 56, no. 4 (Winter 2023): 129.

Strict adherence to sacred texts or religious or political principles. The term also refers to rigid and literal (dogmatic) interpretation of texts that are fundamental to the ideology in question.[1] Although the term is often used in a religious sense, fundamentalism can also affect other areas of society. [2]

[1] Ian Buchanan, "fundamentalism," in A Dictionary of Critical Theory (2nd ed.), (Oxford University Press, 2018), www-oxfordreference-com.uaccess.univie.ac.at/view/10.1093/acref/9780198794790.001.0001/acref-9780198794790-e-275; Henry Munson, "Fundamentalism," in Britannica Academic.

entry on the German term "Fundamentalismus" ("fundamentalism") in the Duden dictionary.

[2] Luis A. Vivanco, "fundamentalism," in A Dictionary of Cultural Anthropology, (Oxford University Press, 2018).

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that flourished in Harlem, New York, in the nineteen-twenties thanks to the artistic activities of Black American artists. Although it was primarily a literary movement,[1] it also encompassed music, theater, and the visual arts. Its aims included redefining Black identity and breaking away from white stereotypes.[2]

[1]Ian Chilvers, "Harlem Renaissance," in The Oxford Dictionary of Art (3rd ed.), (Oxford University Press, 2004).

[2] George Hutchinson, "Harlem Renaissance," in Britannica Academic.

In contrast to many other fundamentalist movements, Hindu fundamentalism is driven by nationalism rather than religious convictions. Hinduism is instrumentalized to strengthen national identity. [1]

[1] Henry Munson, "Fundamentalism," in Britannica Academic.

A movement that emerged in the late nineteenth century that aims to organize politics along Hindu lines.[1] Hindu nationalism is based on the Hindutva ideology, which has fascist connotations and highlights the common culture shared by people across the Indian subcontinent.[2] The movement is currently also associated with exclusion of non-Hindus, particularly Muslims, and violence towards them.

[1] Garrett W Brown, Iain McLean and Alistair McMillan, "Hindu nationalism," in A Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics and International Relations (4 ed.), (Oxford University Press, 2018).

[2] Garrett W Brown, Iain McLean and Alistair McMillan, "Hindutva," in A Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics and International Relations (4 ed.), (Oxford University Press, 2018).

Racist prejudice and discrimination, practiced by institutions such as schools, banks or the police.[1]

[1] Gabriele Griffin, "institutional racism," in A Dictionary of Gender Studies, (Oxford University Press, 2017).

This theory asserts that discrimination does not arise solely due to a single category such as ethnicity, race, class, gender, sexual orientation or religion, but that these categories are interwoven. This gives rise to specific forms of discrimination.[1]

[1] Alisdair Rogers, Noel Castree and Rob Kitchin, "intersectionality," in A Dictionary of Human Geography, (Oxford University Press, 2013); Gabriele Griffin, "intersectionality," in A Dictionary of Gender Studies, (Oxford University Press, 2017); entry on the German term "Intersektionalität" ("intersectionality") on the website of "Diversity Arts Culture", Konzeptions- und Beratungssstelle für Diversitätsentwicklung im Kulturbetrieb (Conception and Advisory Center for Diversity Development in the Cultural Sector).

A defined group of works, for example in art, philosophy and literature, that is classified as particularly significant and thus given the status of classics. Postcolonial, queer, and feminist theories strongly criticize the predominance of Western and white artists in the canon.[1]

[1] Daniel Chandler and Rod Munday, "canon," in A Dictionary of Media and Communication (3rd ed.), (Oxford University Press, 2020).

The term "collective memory" was introduced by Maurice Halbwachs in 1925. He described how groups have a shared memory based on the individual memories of their members. This shared memory is created through common experiences and serves to strengthen individual memories through confirmation from others.[1]

[1] Paul Shackel, "Communities/Collective Memory/Public Memory," in The Oxford Companion To Archaeology (2nd ed.), ed. Neil Asher Silberman (Oxford University Press, 2012).

Political seizure of power, domination, and subjugation of one country by another. The dominated country is ruled by a foreign administration. Historically, oppression and economic exploitation were the hallmarks of this relationship. 

Great Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal, and Germany played particularly significant roles in colonization of Africa. Although many countries achieved formal independence from colonial rule in the nineteen-fifties and nineteen-sixties, relationships grounded in economic, political, and ideological dependence continued. 

It was only at a very late stage that the former colonial powers began coming to terms with the colonial past and the process is still ongoing. For example, the German government did not officially recognize and apologize for the genocide of the Herero and Nama until 2021, as part of an agreement with Namibia.[1]

[1] Margaret Kohn and Kavita Reddy, "Colonialism," in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2023 Edition), ed. Edward N. Zalta and Uri Nodelman; Nic Cheeseman, Eloïse Bertrand, and Sa'eed Husaini, "colonialism," In A Dictionary of African Politics, (Oxford University Press, 2019); Nic Cheeseman, Eloïse Bertrand and Sa'eed Husaini, "neocolonialism," in A Dictionary of African Politics, (Oxford University Press, 2019); Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, "Kolonialismus und Aufarbeitung der Vergangenheit," status: 20.07.2023.

A movement encompassing all the arts, for instance painting, literature, and architecture that began in the late nineteenth century and thrived until the mid-twentieth century. Modernism broke with tradition and was open to experimentation.[1] Well-known artists such as Pablo Picasso, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, and Piet Mondrian shaped this era. Christian Kravagna writes about decolonial modernism in the exhibition catalog: "When we speak of decolonial modernism in the context of this exhibition, we mean modernisms that have made an artistic contribution to the liberation movements of the colonized world and the anti-racism movements in the Western world."[2]

[1] Ian Buchanan, "modernism," in A Dictionary of Critical Theory (2 ed.), (Oxford University Press, 2018); Kathleen Kuiper, "Modernism," in Britannica Academic.

[2] Christian Kravagna, "Avant-Garde and Liberation," in exhibition catalog for Avant-Garde and Liberation: Contemporary Art and Decolonial Modernism, 18.

The primarily nineteenth-century idea that a group of people is bound together by a common territory, ethnicity, and/or culture. Nationalist movements often share the notion that their own nation is superior to others.[1] Historically, nationalism in Europe is closely associated with revolutions and the decline of absolutist monarchical states, but is also linked to National Socialism.[2]

The term also refers to movements fighting for national liberation from colonial rule. The nineteen-forties in particular saw the emergence of African nationalist parties that advocated this type of liberation struggle.[3]

[1] Christopher Riches and Jan Palmowski, "nationalism," in A Dictionary of Contemporary World History (5th ed.), (Oxford University Press, 2019).

[2] Wesley Hiers and Andreas Wimmer, "Is nationalism the cause or consequence of the end of empire?", in: Nationalism and War, ed. John A. Hall and Siniša Malešević (online: Cambridge University Press, 2013), 212-254; "Nazism," in Encyclopedia Britannica; "Revolutions of 1848," in Encyclopedia Britannica.

[3] Nic Cheeseman, Eloïse Bertrand and Sa'eed Husaini, "nationalism," in A Dictionary of African Politics, (Oxford University Press, 2019).

A movement took shape in Paris in the early nineteen-thirties as a protest against French colonial rule. The movement was initiated by French-speaking African and Caribbean writers. Its members began to question Western values and rethink African culture. They were influenced by the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural movement of Black thinkers, artists, writers and poets that developed in nineteen-twenties New York.[1]

[1] "Négritude," in Britannica Academic; Souleymane Bachir Diagne, "Négritude," in: Encyclopedia of Aesthetics (2 ed.), ed. Michael Kelly (Oxford University Press, 2014).

The term refers to movements that appeared after the Second World War and were influenced by fascism.[1] In the twenty-first century, right-wing populist and neo-fascist parties gained more support in Western Europe.

[1] Anna Cento Bull, "Neo-fascism," in The Oxford Handbook of Fascism, ed. R. J. B. Bosworth (Oxford University Press, 2010), 586-606; Robert Soucy, "fascism," In Encyclopedia Britannica.

The relationship between the former colonies and the colonial powers, which is still characterized by the former balance of power and by economic, political, and ideological dependence. [1]

[1] M. Moustapha Diallo, "Neokolonialismus," in Handbuch Postkolonialismus und Literatur, ed. Dirk Göttsche, Axel Dunker, and Gabriele Dürbeck (Stuttgart: J.B. Metzler, 2017), 194-197; Nic Cheeseman, Eloïse Bertrand, and Sa'eed Husaini, " neocolonialism," in A Dictionary of African Politics, (Oxford University Press, 2019).

An important twenty-first century political phenomenon.[1] The term describes the re-emergence of nationalism, but against a different global backdrop and often encompassing several nations i.e. a transnational phenomenon. [2]

[1] Shaoqing Zhou, "The Origins, Characteristics and Trends of Neo-Nationalism in the 21st Century," International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology 6, no. 1 (December 2022): 1.

[2] Andre Gingrich and Marcus Banks, Neo-Nationalism in Europe and Beyond: Perspectives From Social Anthropology (New York: Berghahn Books, 2006), 2.

The conviction that all African cultures and cultures of the African diaspora are united by shared interests and should be united. By creating unity, people of African descent are to achieve liberation from oppression. Ideas that can be attributed to Pan-Africanism emerged as early as the mid-nineteenth century. [1]

[1] Peter Kuryla, "Pan-Africanism," in Britannica Academic; Rebecca S. Dixon, "Pan-Africanism," in African American Culture: An Encyclopedia of People, Traditions, and Customs [3 Volumes], ed. Omari L. Dyson, Judson L. Jeffries Ph.D., and Kevin L. Brooks (Santa Barbara: Greenwood, 2020), 702-703.

Postcolonialism describes the aftermath of Western colonialism and the period following decolonization. The term also encompasses critical theories that seek to question Western historical and cultural narratives.[1] Although colonialism has ended in formal terms, colonial ways of thinking persisted and are examined in postcolonial studies. These positions gained importance worldwide in the nineteen-nineties. [2]

[1] Lucrezia Cippitelli, "Postcolonialism," in Encyclopedia of Aesthetics (2 ed.), ed. Michael Kelly (Oxford University Press, 2014); Duncan Ivison, "postcolonialism," in Encyclopedia Britannica.

[2] Harald Fischer-Tiné, "Postkoloniale Studien," Europäische Geschichte Online, published on 03.12.2010.

The word "queer" used to mean "strange", but since the nineteen-nineties it has been reclaimed in a positive sense by queer people as a self-designation. Referencing divergences from traditional sexual orientation and gender norms, it aims to overcome the limitations of terms like "lesbian" and "gay" by encompassing a broader spectrum of identities.[1]

[1] Gabriele Griffin, "queer," in A Dictionary of Gender Studies, (Oxford University Press 2017); entry on the German term "Queer" ("queer") on the website of "Diversity Arts Culture", Konzeptions- und Beratungssstelle für Diversitätsentwicklung im Kulturbetrieb (Conception and Advisory Center for Diversity Development in the Cultural Sector).

Racist discrimination including in politics, through institutions, through norms, and in cultural representations.[1]

[1] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Committee on Population, Linda Casola, Structural Racism and Rigorous Models of Social Inequity: Proceedings of a Workshop (Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2022), 1.

A cinematic movement in the Global South, intended to serve as a pendant to Hollywood movies–also known as First Cinema–and to European film-making–also known as Second Cinema. Realistic depictions of life and an exploration of themes such as poverty, colonialism, and revolution number among Third Cinema’s aspirations.[1]

[1] John LeBlanc, "Third Cinema," in Encyclopedia Britannica.

The idea that a culture can emerge from elements of different cultures by merging the beliefs and practices of one or more cultures. This can happen both voluntarily and through colonization. [1]

[1] Ian Buchanan, "transcultural," in A Dictionary of Critical Theory (2nd ed.), (Oxford University Press, 2018); Gabriele Griffin, "transculturality," in A Dictionary of Gender Studies, (Oxford University Press, 2017).

A nineteen-sixties and nineteen-seventies world view that sought to strengthen and empower Latin American, Asian, and African countries. The aim was to take action against colonialism and the international favoritism of Western interests. [1]

[1] R. Joseph Parrott, "Tricontinentalism and the Anti-Imperial Project," in The Tricontinental Revolution: Third World Radicalism and the Cold War, ed. R. Joseph Parrott and Mark Atwood Lawrence (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022), 2-7.

Cinema that encompasses international film productions beyond Hollywood and the Western mainstream. The term also describes postcolonial studies of cinema in the Global South ("Third World cinemas"). [1]

[1] Annette Kuhn and Guy Westwell, "World cinema," in A Dictionary of Film Studies (2nd ed.), (Oxford University Press, 2020).