Exhibition - Tirailleurs: Trials and Tribulations. From Cannon Fodder to Avant-Garde—The Forgotten Soldiers Who Freed Europe at Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin
El Hadji Sy. © Mathias Voelzke
El Hadji Sy is featured in the group exhibition and research project “Tirailleurs: Trials and Tribulations. From Cannon Fodder to Avant-Garde—The Forgotten Soldiers Who Freed Europe” at HKW, Berlin. Led by Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, the exhibition focuses on the determining role played by young Tirailleurs from Africa in World War II. Yet, their contributions have been systematically marginalised, and their history remains politically under-researched, and mostly unknown.
On 15 August 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron invited the world to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Allied landing in Provence that followed the Normandy invasion and was pivotal to liberating France and Europe from Nazi Germany. The ceremony highlighted an often-overlooked truth: the majority of the 250,000 troops in the so-called B Army were African soldiers who, according to Le Monde, ‘came from the colonies’. These young Tirailleurs played an active role in the liberation of France from Nazi Germany, while many others hailing from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania, and beyond were integral to the reshaping of Europe’s future and its institutions. Yet, their contributions have been systematically marginalized. While commemorative gestures, such as inviting African leaders to anniversary events, attempt to recognize their sacrifice, this history remains politically co-opted, under-researched, and unknown to many people, especially in Germany today.
In 2026, HKW seeks to address this gap with a wide-ranging programme that considers the role of the Tirailleurs in liberating France from Nazi Germany, how their efforts contributed to the liberation of Germany itself, and their impact on securing peace in Europe post-1945. The consideration of Tirailleurs is expanded to reflect upon similar histories from other geographies and temporalities, demonstrating the continuum of the exploitation of ‘human resources’ in different regimes.
The exhibition brings together works by more than thirty international artists across generations, including fourteen new commissions. It also features the presentation of archival materials, research from five different art spaces and collectives, as well as film screenings. Together, these contributions underscore the persistent relevance of the history of the Tirailleurs for artists, film-makers, and cultural practitioners.