This Friday (08.05.2026) marks the anniversary of the end of Nazi rule in Europe, when Germany formally surrendered to the Allied forces. Historians usually tell a story of how Soviet, American and British forces defeated the Nazis, but this narrative misses a crucial part: the colonial troops from Africa who took part in the liberation. An exhibition called Tirailleurs (“riflemen”) at HKW seeks to correct this blind spot, with artworks, films, archives and new research that makes visible the role African soldiers played in defeating Nazi Germany. Works by more than thirty international artists are on show in the HKW’s halls, which you can explore yourself or on an exhibition tour for expert context and introductions to exhibition themes. Meanwhile, HKW’s Safi Faye Hall is hosting a walk-in cinema, screening films like Indigènes (“Days of Glory”), a 2006 drama about North African soldiers in the French army who are recruited as equals but end up facing discrimination. You can also hear from the artists themselves in a series of talks with the likes of interdisciplinary artist Halida Boughriet (“How to Perform the Archive through Photography”) and Juan-Pedro Fabra Guemberena (“How to Turn Public Spaces into Anti-War Sites”). The Conversations on Art series opens up these discussions to broader questions, such as how exhibition architecture and the year an artwork was made change how it’s understood. You can drop into these sessions on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays for open conversations with mediators and reflections on the themes of the art on show. Entry to the exhibition is free of charge on Mondays.
Text: Benji Haughton / Credits: Pascale Marthine Tayou, Colorful Stones (2025–2026), series from 16 flags. Courtesy Pascale Marthine Tayou and Galleria Continua. Exterior View Tirailleurs, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), 2026. Photo: Hanna Wiedemann/HKW; Daniel Lind-Ramos, Re-inventario de la desmemoria(2026), Courtesy Daniel Lind-Ramos and The Ranch. Exhibition view Tirailleurs, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), 2026. Photo: Mathias Völzke/HKW; Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Into the Fading Lines (2026). Courtesy Atelier Nadia Kaabi-Linke. Exhibition View Tirailleurs, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), 2026. Photo: Mathias Völzke/HKW
Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, 10557 Berlin–Tiergarten; map
Tirailleurs runs until 14.06.2026 – find the full program here.
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