Trust in the Unknown

Ermland Cultural Prize 2024

My video installation explores family, migration, and dance as a bridge between past and future. I come from a family with roots in Poland, part of the Ermland diaspora. Just before the fall of the Berlin Wall, my parents moved to Germany, starting over in a refugee shelter with nothing but a suitcase of essentials—the very suitcase my mother brought, which appears in the video. These experiences shaped my values: groundedness, gratitude, openness, and faith. Working with my mother, who also appears in the video, was a true joy. Through movement, tradition, and storytelling, I celebrate heritage while creating new connections—and opening space for faith to grow.

By Beatrix Kroschewski