Volkswagen Group is pleased to announce a new collaboration with the exhibition project “GEDANKEN SPIELEN VERSTECKEN” developed by the art and education specialists at EPHRA in Berlin. The partnership comprises four Volkswagen Group Art4All Sundays, offering free access and several extra experiences for children, youngsters and adults. The exhibition features 22 internationally acclaimed artists including Olafur Eliasson, Karin Sander and Tomás Saraceno.
Drawing feelings, identifying allegories, starting journeys and sensing effects created through singing: visitors of the exhibition “GEDANKEN SPIELEN VERSTECKEN” will be able to enjoy these activities and several more, all specifically designed to engage with contemporary art and get involved in creative processes.
On display from February 25 until June 11, 2023, at Haus Kunst Mitte in Berlin, the exhibition creates a new environment where young people can get in touch with art and become creators. The Volkswagen Group supports the inventive concept as it underlines its commitment to foster family-focused programs as part of cultural education. During the Volkswagen Group Art4All Sundays on March 26, April 23, May 21 and June 11, all visitors will be able to enjoy the exhibition for free and take part in a visitor program consisting of talks, performances and workshops for different age groups.
The Berlin-based EPHRA institute developed this new approach to link contemporary art and young people. Managed by the artist Rebecca Raue, EPHRA develops new cultural education formats that make art accessible for children. The organization enables youngsters and children to explore the world from an artist perspective, while it encourages artists to learn from the young. “Ephra unterwegs”, the most recent project of Rebecca Raue and her team, brought together 240 children from schools in Berlin and 64 artists. Smaller groups met directly in the artists’ studios and worked on collaborative creative projects. Now, the “GEDANKEN SPIELEN VERSTECKEN” project translates this concept of an exchange between children and artists to a dedicated exhibition space for the first time.
Rebecca Raue, CEO of Ephra and curator of “GEDANKEN SPIELEN VERSTECKEN”: “During our projects we saw that the participating artists and children were equally encouraged and inspired by their shared experiences. We are delighted that so many great artists now help to bring our latest project to life. It lets the young audience discover so many striking forms of contemporary art. Realizing such a new format requires partners with a vision, and we would like to thank Volkswagen for their support.”
On the occasion of the opening of the exhibition, Benita von Maltzahn, Head of Live Communications at Volkswagen Group adds: “Children’s creativity is such a powerful driver. Yet, opening spaces where it can unfold is an ongoing task. EPHRA creates that space with direct access to contemporary art and its creators. We are pleased to be able to support this project which gives families the chance to collectively experience art from new perspectives.”
The Volkswagen Group Art4All program is a key pillar of the Group’s international work as partner of culture and the arts. In this role, the Volkswagen Group joins forces with institutions and visionaries to establish inspiring encounters between a wide-ranging audience and creative works or ideas. In 2018, the first Volkswagen Group Art4All program was introduced at Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart in Berlin. Since 2020, Volkswagen Art4All has also been regularly offered to visitors of the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg and Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. The program has also been implemented with further partners and cooperations: In 2022, for example, 14,000 free Volkswagen Art4All tickets were issued to young students from the Kassel region allowing them to experience the documenta, the world’s most influential art exhibition.
As a partner of cultural institutions, projects and artists, Volkswagen Group strengthens the work on engaging and multi-faceted formats that make art accessible for a broad public and enrich cultural education with innovative ideas. These efforts are led by the belief that as many people as possible should have the chance to learn more about art and creative perspectives. These experiences stir the exchange of opinions and culminate in the development of new individual viewpoints, both critical requirements for the growth of creativity and innovation, and for strengthening understanding within our societies.