Münzenberg Forum | "The war doesn't begin with the first shot"

For the ninth time, the Münzenberg Forum Berlin held its art competition, featuring three categories: photography, film, and collage. To mark the 100th anniversary of filmmaker Konrad Wolf's birth, the competition's motto was: "War does not begin with the first shot." Eighty years after the end of World War II, the world is shaken by numerous crises. Wars, the rise of right-wing extremism, isolationist policies against refugees, and the climate crisis: all are interconnected and threaten our democracy.

With its competition, the Münzenberg Forum Berlin invited young artists to engage critically and artistically with social conditions. Over 250 people responded to the call. A jury selected one winner in each category, who received a prize of 5000 euros.

All award-winning photo series, collages, and films can be viewed until November 17, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the foyer of FMP1 (Franz-Mehring-Platz 1, 10243 Berlin). Admission is free.

Luise Fiedler

Luise Fiedler's seven-minute animated film "Flächendecken" (Covering Areas) addresses the shifting of responsibility through symbolic gestures in the face of global crises. While the Western world's attention is focused on conflicts prominently featured in the media, many other sites of hunger, violence, and war remain in the shadows. The film combines rotoscoped scenes of violence with reflective commentary, revealing how ignorance, indifference, and moral self-exoneration form the basis for the development of war. Its aesthetic rejects the usual media-driven distance and demands a critical awareness of the deeper causes of violence.

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