Make a wish! Memories of the welcome money

Photographs by Sophie Kirchner

Practical things for the craft shed, toys for the children or a music box in the shape of a bell. They fulfill long-awaited wishes or enjoy impulse purchases. Some of it is still in use today. 30 years after the last payment of the welcome money, Sophie Kirchner photographs the objects and the people who acquired them. Together with her respective counterpart, the photographer takes a look into the past, asks people about memories and talks to them about the present and their wishes for the future. In the process, she creates unique portraits in images, text and sound clips. What hopes and dreams do you have? What wish did you fulfill with the welcome money?

In connection with the photographs, visitors are invited to take a look back themselves and to enter into conversation together. A living room shelf full of everyday treasures in the museum also invites them to do so - a smorgasbord of wishes and dreams that were made available to us for our exhibition. What wish would you fulfill today for 100 euros?

Sophie Kirchner, born in 1984 and raised in East Berlin, is a photographer and explores in her photo series "Dreams from Paper" what moves people then and now.