Museum THE KENNEDYS Pariser Platz 4a, 10117 Berlin Allemagne
After President Obama's first hundred days in office the museum THE KENNEDYS will devote a special exhibition to the new American president. The temporary show will complement the permanent exhibition of the museum at the Brandenburg Gate with about 50 exhibits, many of which are photographs by the official White House photographer, Pete Souza.
Souza had already accompanied Barack Obama during his term as U.S. Senator. His photographs succeed in capturing the dynamics and charisma of this American bearer of hope. The photographs that show, for example, Obama in a circle of followers or with his family also often point to symbols of the American presidency that were established and diversified by former incumbents.
Owing to the highly discussed parallels and connections between Obama and various Kennedy family members, the museum THE KENNEDYS offers the perfect setting to ask oneself to what extent these comparisons are justified. As spokesmen for change, Kennedy, as well as Obama, symbolize the dynamics and progress of a new generation. Both politicians succeeded in convincingly embodying optimism, new perspectives, and the spirit of a new beginning in their campaigns, thus electrifying people and rallying them to their cause. This motivation was particularly transmitted by expressing feelings of closeness and trust. These feelings were and still are translated through photography. Both politicians seem familiar because photographs show them not only in their political but also in their private every day lives.
In light of the numerous parallels made in the past few months between the 35th and 44th presidents of the United States, this exhibition will provide the opportunity to discover for oneself, in the heart of Berlin, what these comparisons are all about.