When art begins where words fail

Alanus students create exhibition ‘Clearings’ with hospice association Bonn Lighthouse e. V.

What remains when life draws to a close? And how can art help to find expression where words fail? These are the questions explored by students at Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences in Alfter/Bonn in a special cooperative project with the hospice association Bonn Lighthouse e. V. To mark the 30th anniversary of the outpatient residential project, which enables seriously ill and dying people to live self-determined lives, the exhibition ‘Clearings’ was created – an artistic approach to finitude, dignity, and hope. As part of the anniversary celebration on Sunday, 19 October 2025, the exhibition will be presented to the public for one day only from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Fabrik 45 in Bonn. The anniversary program starts at 2 p.m.

“Art can open spaces in which encounter and humanity become visible,” says Manuela Osterburg, Professor of Painting at Alanus University, who is leading the project. She herself worked for many years as an art therapist in palliative medicine and knows the power that creative processes can unfold. “When language reaches its limits, painting or creative work can create access – to oneself and to others.” Since summer 2025, around twenty students from the Orientation Program in Art-Education-Therapy have engaged intensively with the challenging life situation of the people in the residential project and processed their impressions artistically. The result is a painting performance created together with Lighthouse staff members, as well as the students’ own individual works, in which lines and surfaces become symbols of change, silence, and inner movement.

“We deliberately wanted to seek dialogue with young people,” explains Jürgen Goldmann, head of Bonn Lighthouse e. V. “The collaboration with Alanus University has shown that art can open doors, even to topics we often remain silent about in everyday life. For many of our staff members, this was a deeply moving experience.” The students themselves were also profoundly affected by the collaboration. “Encounter creates light, even in dark times,” says Eva Meulemann. Her fellow student Tobias Nestle describes the creative process as a “balance between heaviness and hope.” What they share is the realization that art can provide support and comfort without glossing over reality.

Anniversary celebration Bonn Lighthouse:
Sunday, 19 October 2025
– Exhibition ‘Clearings’ open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
– Celebration program from 2 p.m. with a presentation of the art project by Prof. Manuela Osterburg together with participating students
– Free admission!

Venue: Fabrik 45, Hochstadenring 45, Bonn

Contact for press inquiries:
+49 (0)2222 9321-1944
presse@alanus.edu

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