Broadening the cultural narrative in Berlin

Ndikung poses in front of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (House Of World Cultures) museum in Berlin. — Photo: AFP

One of the rare African-born figures to head a German cultural institution, Bonaventure Ndikung is aiming to highlight post-colonial multiculturalism at a Berlin arts centre with its roots in Western hegemony.

The “Haus der Kulturen der Welt” (House of World Cultures), or HKW, was built by the Americans in 1956 during the Cold War for propaganda purposes, at a time when Germany was still divided.