Interview with Art Scout Charlotte
At our exhibition, you’ll not only meet our hosts—there’s also always an Art Scout on site who’s available to answer your questions. The Art Scouts are there every day, offer guided tours, and can help you with anything related to the exhibition. So who better to ask about the exhibition than them?
Hi Charlotte, it’s great to have you here! You’ve been with us since we opened in May 2025, so you’re the perfect person for me to talk to today. My first question: Could you introduce yourself again and tell us how you came to work here?
My name is Charlotte, and I work as a freelancer in media art and cultural education in Saxony. I’ve been part of “Offener Prozess” since the Documentation Center opened in May 2025. I started out as a freelance educator and joined the Art Scout team shortly thereafter. (…)
Thank you very much for sharing this insight. The term “Art Scout” isn’t entirely self-explanatory—what does this role mean to you?
The role of the Art Scout combines traditional art education with political education on right-wing terrorism and, above all, with direct dialogue with visitors. On the one hand, this means that we are available in the exhibition space to answer questions about the content related to the NSU complex or the works on display. On the other hand, during public tours, we present the structure of the exhibition and actively help shape visitors’ engagement with the artworks.
For me personally, this work means, above all, many moving conversations. They consistently prompt me to reflect on my own thoughts and, despite the alarming prevalence of right-wing rhetoric in everyday life, allow me to feel a sense of hope. That’s why I’m always happy to receive curious questions and hear the stories of our visitors.
Thank you; that sounds very multifaceted. What does the NSU Complex Documentation Center mean to you?
The Documentation Center is a multifaceted place that people use and help shape in various ways. What unites them all is the mission to highlight the voices of those who were murdered or harmed by the NSU’s far-right extremist terrorism.
These include the life stories of Enver Şimşek, Abdurrahim Özüdoğru, Süleyman Taşköprü, Habil Kılıç, Mehmet Turgut, İsmail Yaşar, Theodoros Boulgarides, Mehmet Kubaşık, Halit Yozgat, and Michèle Kiesewetter, as well as the experiences of their loved ones and those of the survivors of the attacks and robberies. For me, therefore, this place is above all an invitation to remember, reflect, and connect. (…)
And how is the exhibition organized?
The exhibition “Open Trial” is divided into chapters, each titled with statements from relatives of the murder victims. The first chapter is devoted to the life stories of those murdered, as well as the crime scenes and those affected by the three bombings in Nuremberg and Cologne. This is followed, among other things, by artistic works and infographics that examine the serious errors and failures on the part of the police, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, and the media, as well as the incomplete legal investigation into the NSU case.
At the same time, the works highlight the long-standing activism of those affected and the diverse civic engagement without which the Documentation Center would not exist. The exhibition concludes with the demand, “No drawing a line under it!” This makes it clear that the NSU complex, the advocacy efforts, and even the exhibition itself must be understood as ongoing. (…) Demands that relatives and those affected continue to make are also visible on the windows of the Documentation Center.
Finally, here’s a question that particularly interests me: Is there a specific work or section of the exhibition that stands out to you in particular?
There are many works that move me time and again. I especially recommend taking the time at the beginning to watch Ülkü Süngün’s video piece “TAKDIR. Die Anerkennung,” practicing the pronunciation of the murder victims’ names, and observing yourself as you do so (#saytheirnames). Many works also highlight the important role art plays in addressing racist and anti-Semitic violence, as well as (post-)migrant life in Germany. That’s why I’d also like to highlight the video work “Babenhausen” by Hito Steyerl. Since the 1990s, she has been combining documentary work, art, and activism—very much in the spirit of the exhibition.
Thank you very much for the interview and the insights into your work!
