"Das Humboldt Forum wird schon beschossen"
The architectural firm J. Mayer H. and partners Jürgen Mayer H. and Hans Schneider have won the eighth 'Kunst-am-Bau' competition for Berlin’s Humboldt Forum. Their winning installation, titled "Südpfeil" (South Arrow), features a 3.6-meter-long abstract arrow embedded high in the building's facade. The work references the 19th-century discovery of 'Pfeilstörche'—migratory storks that returned to Europe with African arrows in their bodies—which provided the first scientific proof of global migration routes.
The project serves as a poignant commentary on the Humboldt Forum’s controversial status as a repository for colonial-era artifacts. By metaphorically 'shooting' an arrow into the building's flesh, the architects address themes of global power hierarchies, cultural exchange, and the contentious debates surrounding the institution's provenance and architecture. The installation aims to provoke reflection on Germany's relationship with its colonial past and contemporary architectural culture through a subtle yet sharp artistic intervention.