Description: A reflection on the reconstruction of the Berlin Palace and its contradictory use as an ethnological museum.
Having recently accepted German citizenship, writer and activist Priya Basil explores the Humboldt Forum from a deeply personal perspective. She delves into the question of what such a building, such a project, means for an understanding of the past and for belonging in the present. This much disputed, contested, celebrated monument now exists--but what exactly does it monumentalize? Basil writes, "In German, the word Schloss means a palace, and also a lock. The central question: Can a lock also be a key?"Brief description: Priya Basil is a writer and curator for the project Objects Talk Back. Her published work includes novels, nonfiction, essays, plays and short stories. In her book, Be My Guest, she combines her Indian-Kenyan-British-German heritage with philosophy, food, and politics to make a passionate plea for hospitality in its broadest sense. She is co-founder and board member of WIR MACHEN DAS, an NGO that works with refugees and migrants for a more inclusive society. She is also on the advisory board of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights.