The first idea for the "Exploring Visual Cultures" project (EVC) was born in Cameroon in 2015. Invited by Prof. Dr. Paul-Henri Souvenir Assako Assako a joint workshop of the University of Yaoundé I, the Libre Academie des Beaux-arts (LABA), the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg and the Goethe-Institute in Yaoundé took place. All universities from Cameroon sent scholars in the field to attend the meeting. At this workshop the question of what shapes cultural memory in Cameroon and in Germany, and which aspects should play a role in education in the respective countries was discussed. Preliminary collections of objects were compiled that showed fascinating differences and similarities between Cameroon and European countries like Italy or Germany. This experience built the starting point for developing EVC. The participants learnt that a deeper consideration of differences and similarities is needed as soon as transnational contacts occur.
Some impressions from the workshop:
