Exploring Unconventional Perspectives - Memory Cultures through the Lens of Those with Migratory Backgrounds
In August 2025, the unique exhibition "THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX" took residence on the first floor gallery of StadtPalais Stuttgart. This remarkable exhibition was a collaborative effort between the InterAkt Initiative e.V., the Stadtjugendring Stuttgart, the Johann-Friedrich-von-Cotta-Schule, and the StadtPalais as the venue.
The exhibition was a showcase of the individual creativity of eleven young participants from diverse countries, including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Russia, and Turkey. These young artists were students in a VABO class, a preparation course for work and career with a focus on language, at the Johann-Friedrich-von-Cotta-Schule.
Through their personal artistic boxes, these young designers narrated their experiences and perspectives on history and memory. Each box was accessible through QR codes that played the young artists' stories, offering a unique and intimate insight into their experiences.
The project was supported within the framework of StolperKunst, an initiative dedicated to fostering artistic engagement with Stuttgart’s history of persecution under National Socialism. The Learning and Memorial Site Hotel Silber, a project that documents and educates about Nazi crimes, especially local persecution, contributed educational support to StolperKunst and this exhibition.
The VABO class students were given an opportunity to collaborate with external organizations on a significant project, providing them with a unique platform to share their experiences and history. This collaboration allowed them to apply the skills they learned in the class to a real-world project, gaining practical experience and applying their newly acquired skills.
The exhibition was not limited to German history but also included the history from the countries of origin of the young designers, making it a truly multicultural representation of remembrance culture. The project was a unique opportunity for the VABO class students to learn German intensively, as part of the project, and to acquire basic skills for vocational training.
The individually designed boxes were exhibited at the StadtPalais Stuttgart for several weeks, attracting visitors who were moved by the powerful narratives and the creativity of the young artists. The exhibition was a testament to the power of art and storytelling in fostering understanding and empathy, and in rethinking how remembrance culture can be inclusive and dynamic.
In summary, the "THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX" exhibition was a remarkable collaboration that brought together young artists with a migration background, external organizations, and a historic venue to showcase diverse perspectives on remembrance culture. This unique exhibition combined historical reflection with contemporary, multicultural voices, offering a powerful and moving experience for all who attended.
The "THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX" exhibition, held at StadtPalais Stuttgart, was an illustration of education-and-self-development and lifestyle, as it provided VABO class students with a platform to share their experiences and history through personal artistic boxes, fostering understanding and empathy. This collaboration with external organizations offered these students practical experience in applying the skills they learned, while also immersing them in intensive German language learning and basic skills for vocational training.
