Have you seen this bird? An exhibition about the Dodo

This temporary exhibition will showcase paintings, sculptures, books, souvenirs and ephemera which are related to the extinct dodo bird. The items will be sourced from Rainer Dombrowsky’s collection, which he has been assembling for many years. Up until recently most of the objects had been in archive at the ‘Internationaler Dodoverein e.V’ in Berlin. This organisation also provided an intercultural meet-up point for artists, job-seekers and those re-assimilating into society. It allowed them to run their own projects, have exhibitions, perform music and give talks – mostly dodo-themed! Due to commercial development in the area the club has sadly now closed.

Like the dodo, Rainer also comes from Mauritius and has a wealth of enchanting stories and information to be shared. I have worked as a visual artist and curator, both in London and Berlin. We would like our experienced artist and teacher contacts to deliver fun and creative workshops with young people from Berlin and ‘welcoming classes’. The story of the dodo is a poignant one, both in the bird's characterisation and sad demise. Matters relating to cultural heritage, (post)colonialism, environmental destruction and quickened obsolescence resonate both in historical spheres and in the modern world. It is intended that these workshops immerse children in the alternative and quirky world of the dodo, whilst dealing with these important themes.

All of this will take place in ‘Centrum - Contemporary Culture Berlin’ in Neukölln. Rainer and I will not receive a wage for our work and our collaboration with Centrum is a non-commercial one. Because of Rainer’s physical disabilities, he requires transport to attend the events. We aim to continue the work of the ‘Internationale Dodoverein e.V’ by involving former members with activities such as: invigilating the exhibition, doing a ‘live-dodo drawing day’ and cooking a Mauritian buffet for the culinary event. This variety of educational, participatory and multi-cultural events would not only benefit the non-for profit venue it is within, but engage with a wide group of people from the local area, Berlin and those with international backgrounds. Goals: • To enable the collector to participate in the planned events • To deliver a series of workshops aimed at young people and recently migrated children • To engage job-seekers, artists, those trying to re-assimilate into society and former members of the ‘Internationale Dodoverein e.V’ with activities relating to the exhibition • To promote and widen the audience of a non-for-profit cultural organisation

Audience:
• Young refugees as well as children from schools in Berlin
• Local residents of Neukölln
• Artists, curious individuals and cultural/ethnology/museum studies students
• Former 'Internationale Dodoverein e.V' friends
• Visiting friends and relatives
• Mauritians living in Berlin