“The possibility of unreason” at the HKW: 30,000 visitors and a leitmotif – freedom of expression. What remains of Jan Böhmermann’s exhibition?
Jan Böhmermann and the Royal group occupied the Berlin House of World Cultures (HKW) for three weeks. Their exhibition “The Possibility of Unreasonableness” attracted 30,000 visitors during this time, making it one of the most visited in the history of the house. Böhmermann’s occupation ended on Sunday, October 19th. Now the question arises: Have the possibilities of unreason been exhausted?
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Between the Statue of Liberty and the television tower
“You’ve finally done it, you crazy people! You’ve screwed it up!” is emblazoned on the HKW building as a quote from “Planet of the Apes” (1968). Below: A half-submerged Statue of Liberty, which is intended to symbolize the state of freedom in the Federal Republic. The connection to the USA not only runs through the reception, but also functions as a leitmotif of the exhibition. The HKW, built in Berlin in 1953 as a gift from the USA, serves as a political-symbolic interface between the two democracies. Böhmermann and his team used this symbol of freedom and democracy for three weeks as a memorial to their endangerment.
“The Possibility of Unreasonableness” led through three large rooms and showed exhibits from thematically relevant episodes of “ZDF Magazin Royale” – such as the NSU files, campaign souvenirs from the 2016 US presidential election and Renée Benko’s auctioned items. There were also installations such as a media-effective orphan extermination machine, a new national gallery with people from the media public, a wall full of hate slogan postcards that offered intimate insights into the lives of online haters, as well as a visual list of all the legal steps that are necessary to enable criticism on public broadcasting.
The exhibition was intended to be a humorous and intelligent pointer towards the Federal Chancellery. The raised finger also pointed to the USA, the self-proclaimed land of freedom, which currently allows so much unfreedom that democratic structures are eroding – with noticeable consequences in Germany too, as Böhmermann emphasized at the opening. The Royal group wanted to create a space that stimulates self-reflection – for visitors whose cell phones were taken away at the entrance, as well as for democratic institutions. For example, you could look into Friedrich Merz’s office through a telescope. “The sovereign must rise,” it was said at the opening. But after the exhibition ends, the question arises: Did he rise up?
Jan Böhmermann: Censorship in the name of sensitivity?
In common parlance one would say: no. Even before the opening, the exhibition caused discussions – especially because of the scandal surrounding Chefket, whose appearance was canceled again. The reason: The rapper’s show at Berlin’s HKW was supposed to take place on the day that marked the second anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Jewish residential areas and events. On October 7, 2023, 1,200 people died and 250 were kidnapped. According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine, Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer publicly warned that Chefket could use his concert to give space to anti-Semitic ideas. Then the event location and Böhmermann said: “We see and hear the objection, particularly from the Jewish side, against the concert evening on October 7, 2025,” which is why the decision was made to cancel the event completely.
How the suspicion regarding Chefket came about: According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine, Wolfram Weimer pointed out that the musician was allegedly wearing a top in pictures with a print that showed Palestine without Israel. According to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine”, the Minister of State for Culture would have perceived a gig by the rapper on October 7, 2025 as a “provocation”.
Artists like Blumengarten, Domiziana and Wa22ermann then also canceled their gigs in support of Chefket.
Böhmermann’s exhibition on freedom of expression was criticized just a few days after its opening: What freedom was being assessed here when political positions are excluded and not discussed?
The possibility of unreason: discussion instead of revolution
Although the exhibition lost nothing in terms of visitor numbers, its reputation suffered. She was laughed at anyway because of her sometimes sophisticated exhibits; After the canceled performances, the debate intensified. “taz” wrote about “unused potential,” “Zeit” spoke about “the same old story,” and visitors expressed disappointment at the lack of depth. The conclusion: “You can do it, but you don’t have to.”
Anyone who wanted to find out something about the state of German democracy or the tension with American structures received food for thought, but no clear answers. Böhmermann and the Royal group offered more direction than solutions. But what made the exhibition possible was a discussion about the relationship between politics and culture. How much influence can a government have on the conception of cultural (criticism)? Does an institution like the HKW have to bow to the demands of – in Böhmermann’s words – “Leviathan” under the guidance of hired, supposedly independent collectives?
The “must” is debatable, but the effect is clear. Thanks to Jan Böhmermann, more people than ever came to the HKW during the three weeks, but whether the possibilities of unreason were fully exhausted remains to be seen.