ART AGAINST LONELINESS

ART AGAINST LONELINESS 2024

KUNST FÜR ANGELN continued its intergenerational social project in 2024.

The KUNST FÜR ANGELN association and pupils from Angeln get senior citizens out of their isolation by means of ART.

Since 2023, the KUNST FÜR ANGELN association and students of the Bernstorff Gymnasium have been offering the unique social project “Art against loneliness” in Angeln, the northernmost region of Schleswig-Holstein.

In April 2024, students have been meeting seniors from all over Angeln – from Flensburg to Quern, from Langballig to Kappeln – to visit the exhibition “INSTA ME, BABY!” by the association KUNST FÜR ANGELN that was running till May 5th, 2024 on the Wittkielhof.
The exhibition and the transport was organized by the association KUNST FÜR ANGELN, Ingrid Roosen-Trinks, director of the association, lead the tour through the exhibition together with the students, who explained contemporary art by predominantly Danish and Schleswig-Holstein artists to the older generation.

Also in 2024, Ingrid Roosen-Trinks regularly opened the large art exhibition in the Asmus-Petersen barn on the Wittkielhof – exclusively for senior citizens from the northernmost region of Schleswig-Holstein! 

After a guided tour of the art, there were refreshments, pastries and time for conversations and souvenir photos.

Sonja Schmidt, teacher of the students at Bernstorff Gymnasium Satrup: “The example has made school and after the successful start in 2023, we are looking forward to a continuation this year! It has been proven that art can be very good for health and psyche and help to feel happier and healthier in general. A work of art can appeal to anyone. of every age. When you really look at a work of art, it distracts you from everyday life and gives you a better feeling. Looking at artworks in a concentrated way, you forget your worries and immerse yourself in another world. A good distraction, especially for the elderly who live alone, isolated. And for our students it is a great initiative to train their own social skills and to learn to take responsibility for the older generation.“

The association is financed by private donations and thus enables, in addition to programs for seniors, also free offers for children and young people such as workshops, art tours, art loans to kindergartens and primary schools and exhibitions of children’s art.

ART AGAINST LONELINESS 2024
A project by KUNST FÜR ANGELN

Location: WITTKIELHOF,  24409 Wittkiel

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ART AGAINST LONELINESS 2023

A cross-generational social project for the north:
The association KUNST FÜR ANGELN, together with students from Angeln employs ART to get seniors out of their isolation.

The association KUNST FÜR ANGELN with students from the Bernstorff Gymnasium in Satrup launched on April 16th 2023, a project named “Art against Loneliness” in Angeln, the northernmost region of Schleswig-Holstein. The students met with senior citizens from Kappeln, Gelting, Langballig, Satrup and Flensburg to discover together the current exhibition ART OVERCOMES BOUNDARIES at the Wittkielhof.
The exhibition and transport was organized by the association KUNST FÜR ANGELN. Ingrid Roosen-Trinks, board of the association, did guided tours of the exhibition, curator and artist Thomas Lunau from Denmark explained the art of exclusively Danish and Schleswig-Holstein artists on site.

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THE PROJECT IS UNDERWAY: STUDENTS BRING MORE SENIORS TO THE EXHIBITION

On 27 April, students of the Bernstorff Gymnasium in Satrup accompanied other seniors through the exhibition ART OVERCOMES BOUNDARIES. There were many conversations during the individual guided tours of the exhibition, as well as afterwards over coffee and biscuits. A meeting that provided an interesting enrichment for all participants.

On April 16th, Ingrid Roosen-Trinks and curator Thomas Lunau opened the exhibition in the Asmus-Petersen barn on the Wittkielhof for an exclusive first visit. The senior citizens have been shown the exhibition ART OVERCOMES BOUNDARIES 2 hours in advance, before the doors opened for all visitors.

The exhibition at the Wittkielhof ran till May 14th, 2023. Until then, several visits by other senior citizens from all Anglen took place, in which students from the region and senior citizens experienced the art exhibition together, talked about art and to met artists personally.

Souvenir photos and a film by the students documented each visit and were then made available to the senior citizens and students.

“The goal is” says Ingrid Roosen-Trinks, head of the association, “to break through loneliness and dissolve isolation, together with the students, through this new form of art education for the older generation. At the same time, this project trains the social competence and sense of responsibility of the young people. In any case, we hope to give inspiration for creative thoughts and an unforgettable experience to our senior citizens here in the north of Schleswig-Holstein.”

“This project will hopefully set an example”, states curator Thomas Lunau, “ because it is proven that art can be very good for health and can help to feel happier and healthier in general. A work of art can appeal to everyone, at any age. If you really look at a work of art, it distracts you from everyday life and gives you a better feeling. Those who look at works of art in a concentrated way forget their worries and immerse themselves in another world. A good distraction, especially for the elderly who live alone, isolated.”

The project was made possible by the friendly support of BBBank.

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