KOFFER.GESCHICHTEN – Das östliche Europa in Stuttgart (SUITCASE STORIES – Eastern Europe in Stuttgart)
Imagine having to leave your homeland with only one suitcase: What would you pack? What would you have to take with you, and what would you have to leave behind?
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Haus der Heimat of the State of Baden-Württemberg, students at the Merz Academy are exploring the cultures and histories of Eastern Europe and the German-speaking communities there through art in a project-based course. They are transforming simple suitcases into narrative objects – both inside and out, ranging from flat images to three-dimensional dioramas.
The “making-of” exhibition at the summer festival showcased the process: sketches, concepts, material samples, and initial versions of the objects resulting from a semester’s work.
Starting July 27, the completed suitcases will be on display at numerous locations throughout Stuttgart and will be brought together in October 2026 at the Haus der Heimat for the anniversary exhibition “In Bewegung.”
The Merz Akademie’s semester project was carried out in cooperation with the Haus der Heimat of the State of Baden-Württemberg.
