Project description

The project Seen and Unseen: Sufi Life in Germany Today (Working Title) combines photography and ethnographic research to explore how Sufi communities in Germany live and express their spirituality. It focuses on the subtle ways in which Sufi practices shape ethical, artistic, and civic spaces, from collective rituals and education to acts of care and service.

The project highlights Sufism as both a spiritual and social tradition that contributes to dialogue, compassion, and belonging in contemporary life. It invites viewers to consider Sufi presence not as distant or exotic but as part of Germany’s evolving spiritual and cultural landscape.

In her fellowship Negah Angha bridges art and scholarship, culminating in a photo-essay publication that portrays Sufism as a living practice within Germany’s plural public sphere. In addition, she will present first photographic works in an exhibition.

Short bio

Negah Angha studied Politics and International Peace & Conflict Resolution in the United States and advises for nearly two decades leadership at the U.S. Department of State and the White House on diplomacy, conflict resolution, and strategic communication. She has taught at King’s College London and the UK Defence Academy and held fellowships at Harvard University, the Atlantic Council, and the Woodrow Wilson Center. She is completing her PhD at King’s College London on Ethical Self-Cultivation and Social Harmony in Sufism. As an AIWG Practical Fellow, she brings together academic and visual research to explore Sufi presence and community life in Germany.