Art is for everyone
What a start—“Touched by Art” could and should become a regular event, because art is for everyone—both to enjoy and to participate in. About 20 artists took part in April and May—professionals from all over Germany and clients of EVIM and other institutions in Wiesbaden who are otherwise also artistically active. In the tandems, which worked together for four weeks each, not only were moving and spectacular works of art created, but friendships were also formed. And a sense of pride in what was accomplished and achieved. A preview event was held at the Reinhard Ernst Museum even before the official auction of the artworks.
Gallery owner Christine Rother-Ulrich, a member of the organizing team, presented all the artworks via PowerPoint, thereby whetting the audience’s appetite for the auction to be held at the same venue the following day.
Applause for the Art
Some of the artists were present—those who had traveled from farther away, like many Berliners, were not—but some made a point of accepting the applause for their artworks. Whether it was the large painting of a blue Kawasaki—on which the artist, as a young woman, had a life-changing accident and has now “painted her way out of it”—or abstract explosions of color, creative stone sculptures, spectacular paper collages, mysterious winged creatures, multi-part “dialogue works,” or inspirations drawn from sources as diverse as the image of a scythe or a city map: a vast spectrum of wonderful artistic expression. To which every person has a right, as EVIM Board Member Matthias Loyal, Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende (patron of the event), Minister Heike Hofmann, and museum founder Reinhard Ernst emphasized during the panel discussion moderated by municipal inclusion officer Andrea Hausy. Art and culture offer opportunities for connection; a museum can serve as a “third place” where people meet and exchange ideas. The initiative, according to Mende, is a “format on equal footing”—not explained or dictated from above. And, as Matthias Loyal and Reinhard Ernst noted: Only when the term “inclusion” no longer needs to be emphasized—but is simply taken for granted—will the promise of “art for all” truly be fulfilled.
Enriched on a Human Level
This was brought to life by the pride and joy of the artists with disabilities, who spoke of fun and inspiration, of encountering materials they had never known before, of collaboratively finding motifs, and of the many things they had learned. And the professional artists were also moved; 86-year-old Eva Ohlow recounted how her partner, Thomas Martin, had painted a small picture for her and presented it to her with the words, “It’s meant to protect you. I love you.” Artists, the organizing team, and the audience at the museum’s Maki Forum all felt personally enriched. The proceeds from the auction will go toward sustaining the “Touched by Art” project. Other art forms could also be incorporated—such as music, for example. A start has already been made, as the trio of Iryna Soroka, Raquel Gomez, and Carlos de Jesus demonstrated with a moving, self-penned “Touched by Art” song. There was repeated loud applause in the hall—either clapping or in sign language—as the event’s patron and hearing-impaired influencer Cindy Klink also took the stage to speak. She also pointed out that the event is an excellent example of why spaces, public platforms, and opportunities must be made available to artists with disabilities, because without the right conditions, it becomes difficult for them. (abp)