Marcel van Eeden. 6. August 1870

Haus der Graphischen Sammlung

27 june – 18 october 2026

In his series 6 August 1870 comprising seventy parts,  Marcel van Eeden explores the interdependence of nationalism, colonialism and racism. The starting point for his artistic research was the fate of Abdel Kader Ben Lahcen, who hailed from the Maghreb. The colonial soldier died in 1870 during the Franco- Prussian War, yet his story extends all the way to present-day Freiburg. Via art photography and historical quotations, van Eeden illuminates what has been  hidden from view for a long time. His research led him from Alsace to Baden, whence to  Tunisia and Algeria. Students at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe, where the Dutch artist Marcel van Eeden is currently rector and professor of painting, comment on his series via their own artworks.
A Museum für Neue Kunst exhibition in collaboration with Universität Freiburg,  Provenance research on colonial scientific collections.