Baptist Coelho (2025-08-01)
After fighting for the British army in the First World War, approximately 1.000 soldiers from the Indian Army were captured and taken to the prisoner-of-war camps in Zossen (Weinberglager) and Wünsdorf (Halbmondlager or Halfmoon Camp), south of Berlin. These camps held thousands of African, Arab, and Indian colonial soldiers from the British and French armies who were imprisoned from 1915 to mid 1917. During his CoMuse Fellowship, Baptist explored the experiences and the everyday life of these Indian Prisoners of War.
Baptist’s research-based practice focuses on articulating unspoken stories and uncovering meaning from the psychological and physical disruptions caused by war and conflict. He works across various media and has exhibited internationally in museums and galleries. His eponymous monograph was published by the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres, Belgium. Baptist was born in Mumbai, India, and currently lives and works between Ypres and Paris.
This project is part of a fellowship and a collaboration between the Ethnologisches Museum, the Museum für Asiatische Kunst / The Collaborative Museum and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. It is funded by COST Action CA20134, TRACTS Network, who are supported by COST EU (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). This fellowship is supported by Künstlerhaus Bethanien, which provides a studio for artistic and scientific research.