Far away or very close? The exhibition tells of the multi-layered connections between Stuttgart, Germany and Afghanistan. It displays historical objects, pre-Islamic and Islamic works of art as well as everyday yet significant objects.

It was developed by the Linden-Museum together with the Entangled: Stuttgart – Afghanistan working group. Since 2019, people from the Stuttgart region have been taking part, many of them with an international, Afghanistan-related history, as well as partners from academia and the arts. They have contributed to the exhibition in terms of concept, content and, in some cases, very personal memories and thoughts. Throughout the exhibition there are always references to the present – even with historical themes. This also happens through personal and critical comments or artistic positions.

The exhibition begins with transcontinental relations dating back thousands of years to the territory of present-day Afghanistan and an insight into the beginnings of German-Afghan history just over 100 years ago. Based on the collections of the Linden-Museum, it shows depictions of the Buddha and large-format marble panels from the Ghaznavid period (11th/12th century), in conjunction with new research and information on provenance. Visitors can experience them interactively using augmented reality.

One focus of the exhibition is the Stuttgart Badakhshan expedition of 1962/63, the Linden-Museum’s largest and longest research trip. It is being retold through research and the participation of many actors between Stuttgart and Afghanistan. The exhibition also reports on trips to Afghanistan and German families in Kabul in the 1970s. Another large area is about things and their various meanings – especially in the 20th and 21st century – textiles, jewelry, furniture and tableware. The exhibits are linked to stories of travel, and in some cases of migration, war and flight, and also raise political questions. His works deal with belonging, identity politics, conflict and migration, often with reference to Afghanistan.