Program

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)
 

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

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.

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.
 

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

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

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.

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