Lives of Objects is a Goethe-Institut project that explores the histories, socio-political significance, and spiritual importance of cultural heritage objects, with a particular focus on colonialism and restitution. Through online events, podcasts, and dialogues, the initiative brings together artists, communities, and intellectuals from the Global South and diaspora to challenge dominant narratives and foster decolonial transformations in how we perceive, care for, and engage with these artefacts.

The project builds on the success of Practicing Freedom, a collaborative initiative led by the Goethe-Institut UK in partnership with the British Council and the Research Center for Material Culture, which explored the intersections of artistic practice, research, and restitution. Lives of Objects expands this work by foregrounding the contributions of Global South and diaspora voices, addressing the ongoing effects of colonialism, and investigating the role of artistic and cultural practices in shaping more equitable approaches to cultural heritage. Practicing Freedom was conceptualised and curated by Amal Alhaag and Selene Wendt.

As part of the project, two artist residencies were hosted, featuring Pamela Tulizo, a trained journalist and artistic photographer who runs the cultural project space Tulizo Elle Space for women and girls in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Theo Eshetu, who has worked in media art since 1982, exploring formats from essay films to large-scale video installations that examine how electronic media shape and inform global perceptions. These residencies provided space for in-depth research, experimentation, and engagement with the themes of cultural heritage, restitution, and decoloniality.

Through its Virtual Gatherings series, the project provides an accessible online platform for global audiences to engage with urgent questions around restitution, remembering, restoration, and reparation, while confronting cultural amnesia and recognising the deep knowledge systems embedded in these objects. The series was curated by Sofia Lovegrove, with digital strategy and production by Digital & Nomad, and visual design by Eno Inyangete.

Between June 2021 and December 2024, I was responsible for the Goethe-Institut UK’s website, social media channels, podcasts, digital strategies, and editorial budgets. Accordingly, I contributed significantly to the production and delivery of the Lives of Objects project. Working within the Communications team, I collaborated with internal and external stakeholders to ensure content and campaigns aligned with the project’s objectives and the Goethe-Institut’s editorial guidelines.

I oversaw audience-focused digital marketing strategies, including boosting paid ads via Meta Business Suite and coordinating newsletter swaps. Each year, I allocated a significant portion of the editorial budget to commissioning content to document and promote the project, including graphic designers for visual materials, videographers to record events and discussions, and experts and translators to produce written content. I also managed all contracts and payments, created and distributed media packs, scheduled social media posts, and maintained webpages via our custom CMS.

As manager, producer, and host of the Goethe-Institut’s Talking Culture podcast, I developed an episode dedicated to the Lives of Objects project. In April 2023, I published Lives of Objects: Gala Porras-Kim and James Webb on Spotify and Apple Podcasts via Stationista, handling all aspects from guest sourcing and interview preparation to audio mastering and promotional multimedia creation.