“Deutschland schafft es ab” (Germany gets rid of it)

book collection campaign By Martin zet

With over 1.3 million copies sold Deutschland schafft sich ab (Germany gets rid of itself) by Thilo Sarrazin is the most successful political non-fiction publication of a German author of the post-war period. The Czech artist Martin Zet now starts the campaign “Deutschland schafft es ab” (Germany gets rid of it) in the framework of the 7th Berlin Biennale. He calls to collect as many copies of the book as possible in order to get rid of them. “From a certain moment it is not important what the quality or real intention of the book is, but rather how it effects the German society. The book woke up and fed the anti-immigrant and mainly anti-Turkish tendencies in this country. I suggest using the book as an instrument enabling people to privately manifest their personal position,” Martin Zet states. The artist calls to collect at least 60,000 copies, which is in fact less than 5 percent of the total edition. The books will be shown in an installation at the 7th Berlin Biennale; after the exhibition they will be recycled for a good purpose.

Please deliver your copy in one of the participating delivery points or send it to us via regular mail and let it become part of the installation.

 

The first delivery point is opened on January 12, 2012 at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Auguststraße 69, 10117 Berlin-Mitte (accessible every day from 10 am to 8 pm).

 

Further delivery points in Berlin are:

- Alte Möbelfabrik | Karlstraße 12 | Köpenick

- Buchhandlung Pro qm | Almstadtstraße 48–50 | Mitte

- C/O Berlin | Postfuhramt | Oranienburger Straße 35/36 | Mitte

- DOCK 11 | Kastanienallee 79 | Prenzlauer Berg

- F&F-Reisen – im Havemann-Center | Flämingstraße 122 | Marzahn-Hellersdorf

- GRIPS Theater | Altonaer Straße 22 | Mitte

- Hebbel am Ufer – HAU 2 | Hallesches Ufer 32 | Kreuzberg

- Kosmetiksalon Babette | Karl-Marx-Allee 36 | Mitte

- Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Bethanien | Mariannenplatz 2 | Kreuzberg

- Kulturnetzwerk Neukölln e.V. | Karl-Marx-Straße 131 | Neukölln

- Schlossplatztheater | Alt-Köpenick 31 | Köpenick

- Theater an der Parkaue | Parkaue 29 | Lichtenberg

 

Delivery points throughout Germany:

- dieschönestadt | Am Steintor 19 | 06112 Halle an der Saale

- Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst Leipzig | Karl-Tauchnitz-Straße 9–11 | 04107 Leipzig

- Hartware MedienKunstVerein (HMKV) | im Dortmunder U | Leonie-Reygers-Terrasse | 44137 Dortmund

- Kay Volbehr | Georg-Büchner-Straße 20 | 18055 Rostock (from 6 pm)

- Kunstbau der Städtischen Galerie im Lenbachhaus | Königsplatz / U-Bahn-Zwischengeschoss | 80333 München

- Kunsthalle Düsseldorf | Grabbeplatz 4 | 40213 Düsseldorf

- Kunsthaus Erfurt | Michaelisstraße 34 | 99084 Erfurt

- Kunstverein in Hamburg | Klosterwall 23 | 20095 Hamburg

- Kunstverein Leipzig | Kolonnadenstr. 6 | 04109 Leipzig

 

Join us in the campaign and install a collection point for your area! We will take care of transporting the books to Berlin.

Please spread this information via your personal channels.

 

Posters of the action can be downloaded here:

Printable file DIN-A-4

Printable file DIN-A-3

Printable file DIN-A-2

Printable file DIN-A-1

 

We need your help and support to collectively make this project possible.

 

The comments on our website will be open for your personal opinion about the book and its content.

7-berlin-biennale-sarazzin

Comments

Daniel Miller in conversation with Martin Zet

Martin, was it ever your plan to burn these books? More >
Daniel Miller in conversation with Martin Zet

Statement by Axel Wieder, Pro qm

The first time I heard about Martin Zet’s project was when a staff member of the Berlin Biennale asked me whether I thought this idea could be realized. More >
Statement by Axel Wieder, Pro qm

Who abolishes it? – The freedom of thought?

On the debate around the campaign “Germany abolishes it“ by Martin Zet as part of the 7th Berlin Biennale 2012. Statement by Katharina Kaiser More >
Who abolishes it? – The freedom of thought?

Flames in their Heads

by Igor Stokfiszewski More >
Flames in their Heads

Statement by Stéphane Bauer, Director, Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien

Or why Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien will continue to be a collecting point for the campaign “Deutschland schafft es ab” (Germany gets rid of it), a project by Martin Zet in... More >
Statement by Stéphane Bauer, Director, Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien

Statement by Artur Żmijewski

The campaign by Czech artist Martin Zet to collect as many copies of Thilo Sarrazin’s book »Deutschland schafft sich ab« (Germany Does Away With Itself) as possible has begun. More >
Statement by Artur Żmijewski

Comments

  1. Martin

    Gerade von einem Künstler, dessen Kunstfreiheit im gleichen Artikel des deutschen Grundgesetzes geschützt ist, hätte man erwarten können, dass er die Meinungsfreiheit auch hinsichtlich streitbarer Autoren und Themen respektiert. Die Einsammlung und “Verwertung” eines Buches stößt mir mit Gedanken an den Berliner Bebelplatz und die dortigen Bücherverbrennungen schon in einem ganz grundsätzlichen Sinne bitter auf. Vor allem, da es dem Urheber der Aktion laut eigener Aussage nicht um eine abstrakte Provokation, sondern vielmehr um die Abschaffung einer in dem Buch publizierten Meinung geht.

  2. Juliane

    Bei Rassismus handelt es sich jedoch nicht um eine einfache “Meinung”, sondern um ein offenes, repressives Gewaltverhältnis gegenüber Minderheiten. Sarrazin’s publizistischer Erfolg zeigt, mit welchem Selbstverständnis Rassismus in der deutschen Gesellschaft verankert ist und- schlimmer noch- kommt im Mäntelchen der “Meinungsfreiheit” daher. Die künstlerische Aktion der Buchverbrennung symbolisiert daher nicht die Abschaffung einer “Ansicht”, sondern richtet sich gegen ein gesellschaftliches VERHÄLTNIS, das sich menschenverachtend immer wieder neu reproduziert- insbesondere durch “legitime” Hetze wie der von Thilo Sarrazin.

  3. Paul Gilroy

    RECYCLE WHITE CULTURE:

    One way that whites like Sarrazin AND Żmijewski can achieve the kind of equality that they falsely claim to have in Germany and in Europe today is to recycle their own selves by burning their passports, becoming stateless and applying for asylum themselves. We are not talking about a “symbolic” action defining nothing but mutual relationships of Nazi and “high culture” idealisms, but about the real situation where those Nazi-and-culture mutilators will face the results of their ideology. We invite them to do so.

    BURN BERLIN BABY! BURN BIENNALE-CANNIBALE! CAN NAZI BALE!

    http://www.alytusbiennial.com/news/503-berlins-canned-nazi-bale.html

  4. martin zet

    Martin Zet: Deutschland schafft es ab – update from 12.3. 2012:

    After analysis of the reactions to his first call Martin Zet realized that 60,000 copies are not enough. Now he wants to get at least ten times more. He appeals to the owners of the book: Wake up and donate 600,000 copies! There is only one month left. The last date to donate is April 12th. Then he will start building the installation and the books will be accepted only in exceptional cases.

    Mail or bring them to KW, or bring them to the places listed below the initial call from January 12, 2012.

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