November
Opening
‘Sweet Homeland
German-Turkish Life in Art’
Sat, 15/11/25, 4–7 pm
What is home? A place or a landscape? A language or music? A smell or a taste? And what does it mean when you have to find a new home? Since the recruitment agreement was concluded in 1961, many Turkish men and women have come to Germany to work. At the time, they were called guest workers, although they usually experienced little hospitality. What was supposed to be a temporary departure often turned into an attempt to find a permanent home in a foreign culture. It is time to honour the experiences and achievements of migrants in an exhibition.
Internationally renowned artists from the Turkish cultural sphere address themes such as departure and arrival, attempts at adaptation, feelings of alienation and memories of home in their works. They are often border crossers themselves, commuting between Istanbul and Berlin, born in Turkey and raised in Germany or vice versa, with Kurdish or Armenian roots, seeing themselves as Europeans or citizens of the world.
Welcome speech:
Dr Martina Padberg
Introduction:
Prof. Dr Burcu Doğramacı, Munich
Prof. Dr Marta Smolińska, Poznań and Berlin
Music:
Eren Akşahin,
Bağlama / Oud / Plucked instruments
The museum will remain open until 7 p.m.
Admission is free!
(Due to the construction of the new town hall, there are only a few parking spaces available directly at the museum. Additional parking is available approximately 5 minutes' walk away at the Stadthalle, Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 2 or Am Stadtpark 4.)
Guided tour in Turkish
Sat, 22/11/25, 4 pm
Sanat tarihçisi Asya Abacı ile sergiyi Türkçe bir bakışla keşfetmeye davetlisiniz. Halil Altındere, Gülsün Karamustafa ve Mehtap Baydu’nun eserleri aracılığıyla göç, aidiyet ve kimlik üzerine düşünürken; sanatın geçmişle bugün, kişisel hikâyelerle kolektif deneyimler arasında kurduğu köprüyü birlikte hissedeceksiniz. Bu rehberli tur, sanatla içten bir diyalog kurmayı, kendi deneyimlerinizi paylaşmayı ve kökenlerimiz ile bugüne dair yeni anlamlar keşfetmeyi teşvik ediyor.
Accompanied by art historian Asya Abacı, you will discover the exhibition from a Turkish-speaking perspective. Together, you will view works by artists such as Halil Altındere, Gülsün Karamustafa, and Mehtap Baydu, who address themes such as migration, belonging, and identity. This tour invites you to experience art in dialogue and to contribute your personal experiences. A lively exchange about art, origin, and the present.
Giriş ücreti / Admission: 10 euros
Director's tour
Wed, 26/11/25, 19 Uhr
Take advantage of this opportunity for a personal tour with director Dr. Martina Padberg. You will gain direct insights into the creation of the exhibition and the ideas behind the project. You will learn how curators Dr. Burcu Doğramacı and Dr. Marta Smolińska conceived the exhibition. In the process, you will discover how the works were created, what personal backgrounds shaped the artists, and how their diverse migrant perspectives artistically address questions of identity, memory, and home.
Admission: 10 euros
family workshop
Sat, 29/11/25, 3.30 pm
Home is where everything is in balance. Inspired by this idea, children work with an adult companion to create a mobile that combines motifs and symbols from their own homes. Which people, animals, or things belong there? Is there a special place, meal, or favorite object that represents “home”?
After a short, child-friendly tour of the current exhibition, participants put their ideas into practice in the painting school. Using various materials, they create individual mobiles that form a shared image of home and security.
The workshop invites participants of all ages to discuss the concept of “home” and to experience it in a creative, sensory, and playful way.
All materials are provided.
No prior knowledge is required.
Admission plus €5 per family.
For children aged 6 and up with an accompanying adult.
Supported by Förderkreis Kunstmuseum Ahlen e.V.
December
Performance
Thu, 04/12/25, Save the Date!
For her performance as part of the “Stadtbesetzung” (city occupation) project, Nezaket Ekici immersed herself in everyday life in Ahlen's city center: she worked as an intern in local shops, talked to owners and customers, and experienced the challenges of a pedestrian zone characterized by vacant premises. From these encounters and observations, she developed a live performance that tells of closeness, change, and the small gestures of togetherness. More information coming soon.
Location: Ahlen city center
Stops: Porzellanhaus Josef Ostermann, Restaurant Steinofen, Betten Gahrmann
Supported by the Kultursekretariat NRW Gütersloh
Art & Köfte
Thu, 04/12/25, 7 pm
Art & Köfte combines an inspiring tour of the exhibition with a meal together at the Steinofen restaurant. After the guided tour of works by artists such as Halil Altındere and Şakir Gökçebağ, you will enjoy a surprise menu that ties in with the exhibition theme. Art, food, and encounters merge into a special experience. An evening full of exchange, taste, and new perspectives.
Admission: 10 euros, menu: 25 euros (package only)
Unser Deutschlandmärchen
Thu, 11/12/25, 7 pm
Dinçer Güçyeter's award-winning novel “Unser Deutschlandmärchen” tells the story of Turkish Greeks, their archaic roots in Anatolian life, and the challenge of starting a new life in Germany. A narrative closely interwoven with the author's own experiences, it shows how traditional images of masculinity and the silent endurance of the exhausted mother intertwine – and thus prevent Germany from becoming the longed-for new home.
The narrative spans from the beginning of the last century to almost the present day. Dinçer Güçyeter leaves nothing out, no rape, no misunderstanding, no conflict at work, whether in the shoe factory, on the farm, or in the local pub. And then there are the mother's expectations of her adolescent son, who is supposed to stand by her side as a strong man, but who has a completely different idea of a fulfilled life.
“Unser Deutschlandmärchen” is a family history told in many voices: women from several generations and the son born in Germany remember in poetic, often mythical, powerful images and in monologues, dialogues, dreams, prayers, and choruses.
A cooperation with the VHS, Ahlen.
Admission: 12/10 euros, tickets available at vhs-ahlen.de
Christmas holiday course
Mon, 29/12 – Tue, 30/12/25, 10 am–1 pm
Places where you feel at home – that's what this holiday course for children aged 6 to 10 is all about. Using photographs from Ahlen and other feel-good places, the children will design their very own calendar for the year 2026.
Together, we will talk about what gives us a feeling of home: people, animals, favorite places, or special things. Photos of the art museum, the Werse river, playgrounds, the market square, or a bench will serve as a starting point and will be transformed into individual places of well-being with imagination and color.
With scissors, paper, pens, and paints, the children will cut, collage, and draw. Personal items, names, or figures can be incorporated into the design as memories or symbols. The result is twelve unique, artistically designed calendar pages—a creative companion for the new year.
You are welcome to bring your own photos (up to DIN A5).
All materials are provided; no prior knowledge is required.
Fee: 20 euros, siblings: 17 euros
January
Guided tour for seniors
Thu, 08/01/26, 3 pm
On our senior citizens' tour, you can experience art in a relaxed atmosphere with plenty of time for discussion. Together, you will discover works that tell stories of life journeys, memories, and encounters. The tour invites you to contribute your own thoughts and experiences. Enjoy a stimulating afternoon of art and conversation, followed by coffee and cake at Café Chagall.
Admission including guided tour, one drink, and a slice of cake: 16 euros
WORKSHOP
FOR ADULTS
Sat, 10/01/26, 3–5 pm
A creative journey from image to image – open, lively, and full of surprises. In this workshop, participants work together to create various images and experience what it means to let go, start something new, and continue into the unknown.
Everyone starts with their own work. After a while, they swap: the picture they started is passed on, continued, supplemented, or reinterpreted by someone else. This results in multi-layered collaborative works that bear the traces of all those involved – a process between trust, improvisation, and new beginnings.
This artistic approach not only opens up new creative perspectives, but also challenges participants to relinquish control. In a sense, the participants are artistically “homeless” – because there is no work of their own that can be completed according to individual ideas. Instead, a continuous process of arriving, finding one's way and moving on emerges – with an open, exciting outcome.
All materials and techniques are freely available; no prior knowledge is required.
Fee: 18 euros
How does homeland work?
Wed, 14/01/26, 7 pm
Berlin author Fikri Anıl Altıntaş talks to guests in Ahlen about role models, projections and harmonious coexistence. Moderated by Martina Padberg, who discusses personal experiences of belonging and the struggle for an open, post-migrant understanding of home with her guests. The evening combines literary, artistic and social perspectives and invites guests to take a fresh look at their own images of origin, foreignness and coexistence.
Admission: 10 euros
Supported by Förderkreis Kunstmuseum Ahlen e.V.
Guided tour in Turkish
Sat, 17/01/26, 4 pm
Sanat tarihçisi Asya Abacı ile sergiyi Türkçe bir bakışla keşfetmeye davetlisiniz. Halil Altındere, Gülsün Karamustafa ve Mehtap Baydu’nun eserleri aracılığıyla göç, aidiyet ve kimlik üzerine düşünürken; sanatın geçmişle bugün, kişisel hikâyelerle kolektif deneyimler arasında kurduğu köprüyü birlikte hissedeceksiniz. Bu rehberli tur, sanatla içten bir diyalog kurmayı, kendi deneyimlerinizi paylaşmayı ve kökenlerimiz ile bugüne dair yeni anlamlar keşfetmeyi teşvik ediyor.
Accompanied by art historian Asya Abacı, you will discover the exhibition from a Turkish-speaking perspective. Together, you will view works by artists such as Halil Altındere, Gülsün Karamustafa, and Mehtap Baydu, who address themes such as migration, belonging, and identity. This tour invites you to experience art in dialogue and to contribute your personal experiences. A lively exchange about art, origin, and the present.
Giriş ücreti / Admission: 10 euros
Kunstgenuss
Do, 22/01/26, 19 Uhr
At Kunstgenuss, you can enjoy the exhibition in a relaxed atmosphere, followed by a three-course meal at Restaurant Chagall. The works on display by artists such as Gülsün Karamustafa and Ekin Su Koç open up new perspectives on origin, identity, and coexistence. Be inspired, enjoy good conversation and culinary highlights. An evening for all the senses.
Admission: €10, menu: €39 (package only)
Registration via Restaurant Chagall at: info@chagall-ahlen.de
Natürlich kann man hier nicht leben
Fri, 30/01/26, 19 Uhr
Özge İnan reads from her novel „Natürlich kann man hier nicht leben“. The novel tells the moving story of a family who emigrated from Turkey to Germany after the military coup in 1980. Young Nilay wants to travel from Berlin to Istanbul to join the protests at Taksim Square and fight for freedom. Her parents, Selim and Hülya, themselves experienced the years of arbitrariness after the 1980 coup in Izmir. At that time, they believed in a future in Turkey and found ways to resist. Now, thirty years later, their daughter is drawn to the country they left behind, hoping to find freedom elsewhere.
With great urgency and clarity, Özge İnan illuminates the story of a family that does not give up—a story of friendship and betrayal, of love and anger, that addresses the cross-generational search for political and personal freedom.
A cooperation with VHS, Ahlen.
Admission: 12/10 euros, tickets available at vhs-ahlen.de
Supported by Förderkreis Kunstmuseum Ahlen e.V.
Turkish cuisine
Sat, 31/01/26, 14–17.30 Uhr
For almost 25 years, Figen Altunbüken has been sharing her passion for cooking in her courses—it all started with handwritten recipes, and today she regularly introduces her participants to the diversity of Turkish cuisine. While cooking together, participants discover traditional dishes from different regions of Turkey and create their own culinary masterpieces. With a lot of heart, experience, and joy in sharing, Figen Altunbüken invites you on a journey of discovery where cooking, culture, and encounters merge.
In cooperation with the Ahlen Family Education Center.
Fee: 20 euros plus a contribution for ingredients.
Tickets available at fbs-ahlen.de
Februar
Kunstgenuss
Do, 05/02/26, 19 Uhr
At Kunstgenuss, you can enjoy the exhibition in a relaxed atmosphere, followed by a three-course meal at Restaurant Chagall. The works on display by artists such as Gülsün Karamustafa and Ekin Su Koç open up new perspectives on origin, identity, and coexistence. Be inspired, enjoy good conversation and culinary highlights. An evening for all the senses.
Admission: €10, menu: €39 (package only)
Registration via Restaurant Chagall at: info@chagall-ahlen.de
FL!M
in concert
Sat, 07/02/26, 19 Uhr
The music of FL!M exudes authenticity. On the foundation of 21st-century music, musicians come together here who want to create a shared vision of the future. With the tools of their trade and the rich treasures of a repertoire of instruments rooted in ancient traditions, they patiently and passionately paint a picture of a tangible utopia: This is what a culture of togetherness that rejects all clichés sounds like. What at first glance looks like a classical ensemble turns out to be a fusion band in the best sense of the word, with modern playing styles and clever compositions and a clear message: Everything must be new! The strength of the ensemble lies in its versatility, which is based on the open compositions of percussionist Till Menzer. In quiet passages, the harp and bass clarinet invite you to dream and meditate on soundscapes that transform into a dance floor in the next piece, led by drums and baglama. Thanks to the high musical level of the performers, the audience embarks on a unique musical journey with the band in the interplay of exciting arrangements and extended improvisations.
Location: St. Bartholomäus Church, Ahlen.
In cooperation with the Kulturgesellschaft Ahlen, supported by the Kultursekretariat Gütersloh.
Admission: 15/12 euros
Instagram @flimsound
Guided tour for seniors
Thu, 12/02/26, 3 pm
On our senior citizens' tour, you can experience art in a relaxed atmosphere with plenty of time for discussion. Together, you will discover works that tell stories of life journeys, memories, and encounters. The tour invites you to contribute your own thoughts and experiences. Enjoy a stimulating afternoon of art and conversation, followed by coffee and cake at Café Chagall.
Admission including guided tour, one drink, and a slice of cake: 16 euros
WORKSHOP
FOR ADULTS
Sat, 14/02/26, 2–6 pm
In this intercultural workshop, participants immerse themselves in the traditional technique of marbling and create their own beautiful ornamental papers. Under the guidance of Yusuf Ayar and Meike Kokoska, unique patterns are created – a creative play with color, water, and movement.
All materials are provided, and refreshments will be served. No prior knowledge is required.
Fee: 40 euros (including refreshments)
Supported by Förderkreis Kunstmuseum Ahlen e.V.
Derya Yıldırım
in concert
Sat, 14/02/26, 19 Uhr
Internationally renowned multi-instrumentalist and singer Derya Yıldırım builds musical bridges between the past, present, and future. For Yıldırım, folk music is not nostalgia, but a living movement and expression—a mirror of society. Raised in a musical family with a tradition of bağlama music, Yıldırım later studied at music colleges and is now a lecturer. With her band Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, she combines Anatolian music with global forms of expression. In her solo concerts, however, she returns to the essence: voice and bağlama.
Her music does not reinterpret folk songs, but allows them to live on beyond fixed genre boundaries. She addresses themes of longing, resistance, migration, and identity. A concert with Derya Yıldırım is a powerful dialogue between the past, present, and future—sometimes delicate and melancholic, sometimes rousing.
Location: Gustav Lübcke Museum, Hamm (cooperation partner).
Admission: 15/12 euros.
Instagram @deryayildirim_official
Tickets available soon via museum-hamm.de
Guided tour in Turkish
Sat, 21/02/26, 4 pm
Sanat tarihçisi Asya Abacı ile sergiyi Türkçe bir bakışla keşfetmeye davetlisiniz. Halil Altındere, Gülsün Karamustafa ve Mehtap Baydu’nun eserleri aracılığıyla göç, aidiyet ve kimlik üzerine düşünürken; sanatın geçmişle bugün, kişisel hikâyelerle kolektif deneyimler arasında kurduğu köprüyü birlikte hissedeceksiniz. Bu rehberli tur, sanatla içten bir diyalog kurmayı, kendi deneyimlerinizi paylaşmayı ve kökenlerimiz ile bugüne dair yeni anlamlar keşfetmeyi teşvik ediyor.
Accompanied by art historian Asya Abacı, you will discover the exhibition from a Turkish-speaking perspective. Together, you will view works by artists such as Halil Altındere, Gülsün Karamustafa, and Mehtap Baydu, who address themes such as migration, belonging, and identity. This tour invites you to experience art in dialogue and to contribute your personal experiences. A lively exchange about art, origin, and the present.
Giriş ücreti / Admission: 10 euros