Fragment No. 24

In my personal experience, studying (art) history has been an immensely rewarding endeavour. By employing art historical methods and tools, I have been able to gain deep insights into how people see amd saw the world, express their emotions, and interact with the divine or with nature – including myself.

As art historians, we are often confronted with fragments. And watching fragment #24 meandering though the alleyways of Venice, I realised that the notion of the fragmentary, the incomplete, is fundamentally linked to the efforts of art history.

Fragments, whether they are remnants of texts, speech, art, architecture, archaeological objects, or ideas, refer to incomplete pieces that convey meaning but lack a coherent structure. As such, fragments may act as carriers of cultural memory, preserving elements of a society’s (or multiple societies‘) values, practices, and belief systems even when the larger narrative has been lost. They challenge notions of wholeness, and can serve as powerful tools for evoking emotions, creating tension, or presenting disjointed yet intrinsically human experiences. Importantly, fragments invite us to reconsider the processes we employ for the construction of meaning.

Venice’s beautiful yet often patched-up buildings and façades embody a rich tapestry of meanings. From a melancholic sense of impermanence to warnings of environmental fragility, the architectural structures fragment #24 and I encounter speak of a city at once glorious and vulnerable. Built on water, Venice had established itself as a major maritime power amd strategic trading hub by the 9th century AD. Venetian merchants facilitated the exchange of luxury goods, such as spices, silk, precious stones, wool, timber, or metals. The city‘s vast trading network stretched as far as the Black Sea, into North Africa and to the Eastern Mediterranean. Immense wealth accumulated through trade allowed Venice to flourish culturally and architecturally.

The buildings that greet us today tell a fragmented story. They offer glimpses into the city’s once-dominant role in the world, while simultaneously underscoring the passage of that era. But it is precisely in these liminal spaces, such as the dual nature of beauty, that I find meaning, curiosity, and solace. An object, a story, a building can be both broken and magnificent at the same time. So can human experience. Coexistence of splendor and decline is ubiquitous; it is something we must live with.

In an increasingly fragmented world governed by data, rankings, and categorisations, I am deeply grateful for the challenge of navigating grey areas art history offers. Not everything is clear or unambiguous, not everything can be described or categorised. Uncertainty is a fundamental part of life and we don’t always gain from pushing against it. On the contrary, endurance and patience might teach us valuable lessons in the long run.

It is adorned with Arabic inscriptions and was made for King Roger II in Sicily. It came to Germany through the Hohenstaufen dynasty. European emperors were only allowed to wear it on their coronation day from the 13th century onwards. It was that precious.

Would a European prince still wear a mantle with Arabic inscriptions at his coronation today? Very unlikely.

Where do I belong? In my new home. Berlin with all its beautiful aspects and landmarks.

On Museum Island with the Cathedral and the TV Tower.

In the Humboldt Forum, there is a replica of the portal at the Great Buddha's tomb. Those who haven't seen the Asian exhibition there yet will miss out on something. Many paths that I and other art enthusiasts have traveled on the Silk Road can be traced here. What would Europe and Asia be without this connecting bridge of culture?

An artistic idea and gesture of peace. The great maestro Daniel Barenboim once reached out his hand, and Edward Said accepted it. Together, they founded the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin. A place where young artists, regardless of their origins and cultures, could create a peaceful language of music and culture beyond international conflicts. At today's 25th-anniversary celebration, the President of Germany is also a guest. A magnificent concert with a wonderful idea behind it.