Travelling Back. Blickwechsel auf eine Expedition von München nach Brasilien im 19. Jahrhundert

In the organizer's words:

An exhibition by the Käte Hamburger Research Center global dis:connect at the Central Institute for Art History

Travelling Back follows the three-year journey of the Bavarian scientists Johann Baptist von Spix (1781-1826) and Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794-1868) through the Brazilian hinterland and the Amazon region. The exhibition, curated by Sabrina Moura, takes a critical look at the narratives and collections that the explorers brought back from Brazil. It poses central questions about the coloniality that underpinned the scientific endeavors of the natural history project. The various representations and interpretations of the collections of Spix and Martius from their arrival in Germany to the present day will be examined, also shedding light on the dis:connectivities of knowledge production behind these scientific endeavors.

The aim is not only to explore the public reception of these experiences through a history of viewing, but also to critically examine them through the lens of contemporary dialogues and initiatives. This includes new scientific practices of knowledge restitution, literary interpretations and contemporary perspectives by artists such as Micheliny Verunschk, Frauke Zabel, Yolanda Gutiérrez, Igor Vidor, Elaine Pessoa and Gê Viana.