“Touched-by-Art” brought together artists with and without disabilities in Wiesbaden. The resulting works demonstrate the contribution art can make to an inclusive urban society and to cultural participation.

The preview brought together numerous guests from the worlds of politics, culture, business, and civil society. In a panel discussion, artists, project leaders, and supporters shared their experiences. 

Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende, patron of the project, said: “Wiesbaden is a city for everyone. The inclusive art project ‘Touched-by-Art’ shows how encounters can take place on equal footing. This labor of love serves as a model and demonstrates how inclusion can be lived out as a matter of course.”

Host Reinhard Ernst emphasized the importance of the project: “Inclusion should be so natural that we no longer need projects like this. We’re not there yet—that’s why we need ‘Touched-by-Art.’ With the resulting works, it is neither visible nor relevant whether they were created by a person with or without a disability.”

Heike Hofmann, Hessian Minister for Labor, Integration, Youth, and Social Affairs, described the project as a successful example of cultural participation: “‘Touched-by-Art’ impressively demonstrates how the human right to cultural participation can be realized.”

The personal accounts of the participating tandems provided insights into their collaborative artistic work, new perspectives, and the friendships that have blossomed. Thomas Martin, an artist with the Werkgemeinschaft Wiesbaden, spoke on stage about how the project has given him courage and confidence. Sculptor Thomas Reifferscheid said: “Art is always good when viewed from the heart. And even better when it comes from the heart.”

The public auction was presided over on Thursday, June 25, by Prof. Dr. Dirk Boll, head of Christie’s Germany. From the participants’ perspective, the high level of interest and the complete sale of all works underscored the artistic quality and social significance of the project. In total, the proceeds from the inclusive art project amounted to approximately 100,000 euros. “Our goal was to successfully bring all the artworks created in April and May under the hammer,” curator Christine Rother summarized that evening. “To everyone’s delight, we succeeded.”

Even though the two evenings felt like a finale, the project team describes this as a milestone success. A network has emerged from which “Touched-by-Art” can continue in a variety of forms.

All works of art created as part of the project will be on display from Friday, July 17, through Sunday, August 30, in a public exhibition at the Kunstverein Bellevue-Saal, Wilhelmstraße 32. The opening reception will take place on Friday, July 17, at 7 p.m.

Further information about the project can be found at www.wiesbaden.de/touched-by-art (opens in a new tab) and www.touched-by-art.de (opens in a new tab).

If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Hausy, Municipal Inclusion Officer for the State Capital of Wiesbaden, by email at inklusionsbeauftragtewiesbadende or by phone at (0611) 315896.