Stories, Sound and Knowledge from Burkina Faso
2 July 2026 – 31 January 2027 | Special Exhibition Space, Forum Wissen
In co-operation with Goethe-Institut Burkina Faso
“When an old person dies, an entire library burns.” This quote is attributed to the West African scholar Amadou Hampâté Bâ and points to the immense importance of oral knowledge transmission in many African societies. Storytelling, sound and language play a central role in this process. In Burkina Faso, knowledge, values and experiences have been passed down from one generation to the next in this way for centuries.
The exhibition Hear, Hear! is an eye-opening sound experience. Put on your headphones and immerse yourself: thanks to an innovative sound system, visitors can experience these vibrant forms of knowledge firsthand. Voices, sounds and videos from Burkina Faso intertwine into multilayered soundscapes. Become part of a nighttime storytelling circle, listen as an instrument such as the balafon begins to “speak,” and try your hand at deciphering intricate language games. Across seven thematic spaces, the exhibition reveals how diverse forms of oral knowledge transmission unfold and introduces visitors to a complex world of knowledge whose richness, depth and systematic structure become tangible through sensory experience.
Be ready for a hands-on experience: try to make a balafon speak, develop an encoded language, share a story of your own, or work together with other visitors beneath a large baobab tree to solve the riddles behind popular proverbs. Alongside West African musical instruments such as the balafon, bendré and bolon, multifunctional everyday objects like the calabash are also on display. The baobab tree — an important social gathering place in many Burkinabé villages — likewise plays a central role in the exhibition.
The exhibition demonstrates that the stories told in Burkina Faso address themes that resonate with people everywhere in the world: wisdom, solidarity, responsibility and conflict. At the same time, it makes clear that oral traditions are not relics of the past, but living and independent forms of knowledge that continue to be preserved, practiced and passed on today. Yet these traditions are increasingly under pressure due to political crises and globalization.
Collaboration
The exhibition was designed by Hamburg-based communication designer Mawuto Dotou. Her design brings sounds and videos from Burkina Faso into a compelling dialogue with historical exhibits that remain vibrant and relevant today.
Hamburg-based musician and composer Viktor Marek created immersive soundscapes especially for the exhibition. Through an innovative sound system, voices, rhythms, instruments and ambient sounds merge into a rich spatial audio experience — revealing how knowledge can not only be read, but also heard, felt and physically experienced.
The exhibition emerged from the project ECHO – Espaces pour les cultures orales in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Burkina Faso and various local partners. For its presentation in Göttingen, the exhibition was further developed by the Forum Wissen together with an advisory board from the West African community and expanded with an accompanying audio track that guides visitors through the exhibition. Members of the advisory board contributed expertise in the fields of language, music, sociology, film, art and culture.
Plan Your Visit
Exhibition Opening – 1 July 2026, Vestibül, Forum Wissen
Sandra Potsch, Director of the Knowledge Museum at Forum Wissen and the Central Custody Office, together with exhibition curator Tatjana Dübbel, will speak about the development of the exhibition at Forum Wissen. Afterwards, visitors are invited to explore the exhibition. Drinks and snacks will be served at the museum café Liesels X Forum.
Public Guided Tours
Information on guided tours can be found in our event calendar.
→ Further events and dates will be announced continuously.
Visiting Information
Opening Hours
Tuesday – Sunday
10:00 am — 6:00 pm
Plan your visit to Forum Wissen — our team will be happy to assist you.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Goethe-Institut for the collaboration and NDR Kultur for the media partnership. We thank Stiftung Niedersachsen, the Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony and the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space Travel for supporting the exhibition.