I Am You

The Goethe-Institut Brussels is pleased to once again present the exhibition I AM YOU. A selection of five works by Felix Droese, Anna and Bernhard Blume, Ulrich Meister, Ian Hamilton Finlay and Jochen Gerz will be shown in the foyer from 1 September 2026.

In 1994, under the direction of Dietrich Sturm, Goethe-Institut Brussels initiated an exhibition of 20 graphic artworks by renowned young artists.
The 1990s in Europe were marked by social crises such as the Yugoslav Wars and right-wing extremist attacks, such as on refugee shelters. I AM YOU had the intention of sending a message against the increase in violence and hatred, raising awareness of xenophobia and intolerance, and at the same time appealing for peaceful coexistence.

The message of the group exhibition retains its relevance, and some of its artists are now world-famous. "I AM YOU" provides inspiration to think about forms of coexistence, empathy and mutual responsibility – perhaps even more crucial today than back then. Nevertheless, we would curate the exhibition differently today. Some works no longer correspond to contemporary political sensibilities, for example with regard to diversity and an equitable gender balance. It is precisely this temporal distance that allows us to reflect on the exhibition in the context of today's artistic and social discourses.

Week for German

Language plays an important role in several of the artworks in the exhibition. In Nach getanem Werk, lagen sie da, so wie die Rechte und Linke gefaltet im Schoß, Ulrich Meister shows, for example, how a familiar everyday object can be perceived in a new way through language. In Jochen Gerz’s People Speak, language itself becomes an artistic material: the phrase “People Speak” appears in 30 different languages and is connected through fields of colour to form a visual composition.
On the occasion of the Week of German, we would like to highlight this aspect of the exhibition. Further information about the Week for German can be found here.