To mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the St. Matthäus Foundation is showing the exhibition ‘Nails’ by Berlin artist Sonya Schönberger from 7 March to 18 April 2025. In the context of the Passiontide, she deals with the topic of forced labour and creates a connection between historical artefacts and contemporary art.
Image gallery
Sonya Schönberger
Nägel aus den Funden der archäologischen Grabung auf dem ehemaligen Flughafen Berlin-Tempelhof
Nägel aus den Funden der archäologischen Grabung auf dem ehemaligen Flughafen Berlin-Tempelhof
Nägel aus den Funden der archäologischen Grabung auf dem ehemaligen Flughafen Berlin-Tempelhof
The exhibition takes as its starting point an archaeological discovery: 13,000 nails found on the Tempelhofer Feld – the remains of the barracks of a forced labour camp. In the unique atmosphere of St. Matthew's Church, a dialogue between past and present emerges, raising questions of suffering, guilt and responsibility while promoting a vibrant culture of remembrance.
The opening ceremony on 6 March at 7 p.m. will be addressed by the historian Dr Marion Detjen (Bard College Berlin) and the curator of the exhibition Keumhwa Kim.
Accompanying programme
16.03.2025, 3 p.m.
- ‘Nails’ – artist talk with Sonya Schönberger, Keumhwa Kim and Hannes Langbein
30.03.2025, 18:00
- ‘Nails’ – LABORa service for the exhibition with Pastor Hannes Langbein (sermon & liturgy) and Dietrich Sagert (reading)
03.04.2025, 19:00
- ‘Nails as Witnesses: Forced Labour, Archaeology and Art’ – lecture and discussion with Prof. Dr. Susan Pollock, Prof. Dr. Reinhard Bernbeck, Sonya Schönberger & Keumhwa Kim
09.04.2025, 19:00
- ‘Are we still useful?’ – Reading from texts by Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the 80th anniversary of his death with Dietrich Sagert
17 April 2025 (Maundy Thursday), 7:00 p.m.
- ‘Structured Around a Hiatus’ – Performance by Fadi Aljabour
About the artist
Sonya Schönberger lives and works in Berlin. In her work, she deals with biographical ruptures against the backdrop of political and social upheaval. She conducts interviews, collects stories and works with existing archives. In 2018, she founded the ‘Berliner Zimmer’, a video archive of contemporary witness reports created in cooperation with the Stadtmuseum Berlin.
