Courtesy of Shermin Langhoff.

The Berliner Herbstsalon, a biennal project by Shermin Langhoff since 2013, is different from many other large-scale international visual arts shows. It takes place at and around a theatre that neither aims to nor needs to succeed in the art business. In this keynote, Shermin Langhoff will give an insight into her curatorial practice. Iconic topics from her context will be touched upon: identity and nation, seeking refuge and community, dis-integration, “deheimatisation” (homeland-belonging), solidarities, protest and futurities including the seed ideas of the upcoming 7th edition RE-IMAGINE! Curatorial possibilities and impossibilities in addressing history, political contexts and the challenges of the present, will be explored and discussed.

Shermin Langhoff, Artistic Director of Maxim Gorki Theatre Berlin, is a trailblazer in German theatre. Born in Turkey and migrated to Germany as a child, she initiated and champions post-migrant theatre, reflecting Berlin's diverse reality. Long before leading the Gorki, Shermin was an integral part of a movement that brought artists of colour and marginalised voices to the forefront. Under her direction, the Gorki has become a radical venue, critically engaging issues surrounding trans local identities, histories and narratives. Shermin's impact is recognised internationally. She has received numerous awards, including the KAIROS European culture prize for her work as a cultural mentor, Helga and Edzard Reuter Foundation honors for fostering international understanding, and the Bundesverdienstkreuz from German President Joachim Gauck for her cultural contributions.