Philipp Rohn

Email: prohn@uni-bonn.de

As a research assistant for the exhibition space of the Global Heritage Lab, I supervise the current exhibition Global Entanglements in the Collections of the University of Bonn and work on the conception, organization and implementation of accompanying programs and events in order to create an engaging and lively space which encourages discussion and critical reflection.

During my undergraduate studies I researched Afro-Uruguayan candombe—a UNESCO-recognized cultural heritage of dance and rhythm—and its growing presence in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, where I conducted fieldwork. Under Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency this cultural expression gained popularity among some left-wing middle-class Brazilians, serving as a means of regional identification as “gaúchos”, distinguishing them from the rest of Brazil, a means of ecstatic celebration and a form of resistance to a neo-fascist regime.

As a master’s student in cultural anthropology and activist, I focus on ethnography, decolonization, provenance research, memory studies, and the intersection of activism and academia. My main interest lies in urban spaces, particularly in Bonn, exploring ways to bridge academic discourse and public engagement.