Who Knows Tomorrow: Berlin and Beyond

This essay focuses on Who Knows Tomorrow, which ran in Berlin from June 4 to September 26, 2010. Hosted by the Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, this exhibition featured the work of five prominent international artists of African origin—El Anatsui, Zarina Bhimji, António Ole, Yinka Shonibare, MBE, and Pascale Marthine Tayou. The artists' work engaged visitors with a range of difficult issues, including the role that Germany and the city of Berlin played in the colonization of Africa. The exhibit also acknowledged and explored the complex postcolonial relationship between Africa and Europe, an interconnected history that remains an integral component of modern-day globalization. This essay considers the historical significance and legacy of this exhibition as well as the extensive accompanying catalogue and concludes that the challenging questions posed by Who Knows Tomorrow urgently warrant answers today.