Where we come from is a coincidence, yet it has a lasting impact on us. Origin can provide support or be a burden; those who want or need to escape it often return to their roots one day. The special exhibition focuses on stories of origin, it tells of growing up, leaving and returning, of remembering and reinventing oneself. A gallery of things presents personal objects that writers associate with their origins. Whether it's a tube television, a copper bracelet from the Congo or an Iranian passport: our origins are manifested in things, and literature also tells of these objects, which are as everyday as they are extraordinary and always touching.
The exhibition focuses on stories of origin from Austrian literature from the 20th century to the present day; international perspectives complement the spectrum: How are stories told about social origin, economic inequality and class? What role do migration and multilingualism play in literature? Which family relationships do we encounter in texts?
Manès Sperber as a child, in Zablotow, in today's Ukraine, 1912 © Austrian National Library
Manuscripts, life documents, artistic works, film and sound samples are dedicated to growing up, leaving and returning, remembering and reinventing oneself. A "Gallery of Things" presents personal objects that authors associate with their origins.
Numerous private photographs, photo finds by Arno Geiger, Polaroids by Peter Handke, Super 8 shots by French writer Annie Ernaux and photo collages by Canadian artist Sandy Middleton illustrate the extent to which images, family photos and snapshots shape our memories of our origins.
The exhibition invites visitors to explore the many stories of origin in literature and perhaps also to come to terms with their own origins. Because origin affects us all.
April 24, 2025 to February 15, 2026
www.onb.ac.at
