Small exhibition on African languages

From Tunis in Tunisia to Cape Town in South Africa, Africa is home to 2,000 languages, almost a third of the world’s languages. Each of these languages reflects the rich and diverse history, culture and identity of the people who live on the continent.

This year’s exhibition in the Breuer Hall of the Collegium Hungaricum Berlin, for which translationale berlin has cooperated with the Seminar for African Studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin, provides a small insight into this world. Get to know the languages Swahili, Setswana, Afrikaans and Kam through audio-visual media and posters created by the linguists Lutz Diegner, Christfried Naumann and Jakob Lesage.

In addition, kangas can be seen on the walls, including cotton cloths printed with writing that are worn in the region of the African Great Lakes. In a video, performance scientist Dr Mshaï Mwangola explains why there may be more to these beautiful fabrics than mere clothing.

Concept and project management: Janina Enderle

Collaboration: Annina Lehmann, Asmus Trautsch and Wangũi wa Goro (kangas),

Contributions by Lutz Diegner, Christfried Naumann, Mshaï Mwangola and Jakob Lesage.

Design: Grafikladen

In cooperation with the Seminar for African Studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin