April 3, 2025: Interfaith dialogue with Du'A Zeitun as part of the exhibition IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD. Talking with each other instead of about each other—this was the premise of the interfaith dialogue between Du'A Zeitun and Stefan Spitzer, in which a Muslim woman and a Christian man exchanged views on their faiths and sought out similarities and differences. An evening of communication that provided space for questions and thus helped to dispel misconceptions.
A journey into the wonderful world of nature
June 6, 2025: Biodiversity show with Dominik Eulberg On this evening, internationally renowned electronic DJ Dominik Eulberg took around 200 guests on a fascinating multivision journey through the nature. In his transdisciplinary show, he transported us into the wonderful world of nature right on our doorstep. He showed us insects at eye level, played bird calls on his synthesizers, and illustrated their exuberant diversity in music videos he created with renowned filmmakers. In his authentic and deeply passionate way, Eulberg sensitized us to the small wonders of the greatest artist of all: Mother Nature.
Dominik Eulberg
How does an exhibition become a book?
July 3, 2025: Art in the Evening: Book Presentation “Two Exhibitions – Two Catalogs”
To mark the publication of the catalogs for the exhibitions A GARDEN FULL OF FLOWERS and ROOTED AND BRANCHED, we took a look behind the scenes of book production in a discussion with the authors, curators, and book designer involved. Together with the audience, we addressed the following questions: How does an exhibition become a book? What new perspectives does the printed format open up? It was a very lively evening, with our visitors actively contributing questions and discussions
A great experience even with rudimentary German skills
August 15, 2025: Guided tour and collage workshop ... in the exhibition ROOTED AND BRANCHED in the studio area with children and young people from the AK Asyl in Mettingen. 17 participants and group leaders were able to enjoy the exhibition despite only having rudimentary German skills. The event came about after a discussion between the Draiflessen Collection's education department and the Steinfurt media cooperative and is intended to be the start of a future series of events.
Spectacular cases and modern methods of art crime investigation
September 4, 2025: An evening dedicated to art crime with Inspector René Allonge ... as part of the exhibition BENEATH THE SURFACE. Experts estimate that up to 60 percent of the art objects offered on the art market are fakes. But how can you tell whether an object is an original or a fake? How do forgers work and how can they be tracked down? René Allonge, chief investigator for art crime at the Berlin State Criminal Police Office, reported on spectacular cases such as the theft of the “Big Maple Leaf” from the Bode Museum, which he himself was involved in solving, and at the same time demonstrated modern methods of art forensics.
Lecture René Allonge
Acceptance of transience and imperfection
November 6, 2025: Workshop for adults: Kan'i Kintsugi – the art of gilding breaks Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese repair technique in which the breaks in broken ceramics are not hidden, but deliberately highlighted and remain visible as part of the object's history. Philosophical principles, including acceptance of transience and imperfection, appreciation of scars and breaks as signs of a life lived, and transformation through vulnerability, become clearly perceptible through the repaired object. For the participants, some of whom had traveled a long way to attend, their objects became “more beautiful and meaningful” than before. This workshop for adults took place in the studio on the exhibition floor (Magic Studio in the MAGICAL WOMEN exhibition).
Kintsugi
Fun at the Museum
Combines a visit to the exhibition with hands-on activities
At Easter and during the summer holidays, we were able to offer our established series of events, Museum Fun, once again—a total of twelve dates. As usual, the program was aimed at children aged eight and above. The two-hour workshops combined a visit to the exhibition with practical work. This gave participants the opportunity to gather new impressions, exchange ideas, and try out various artistic techniques and design options. The content of the workshops tied in with the exhibitions on display and addressed topics such as nature, family, and roots.
in the exhibition MAGICAL WOMEN
Family Advent Activities
Creative workshops for families
On all four Sundays in Advent, we once again invited families to take part in creative workshops. The events provided a space where several generations could come together and engage in creative activities. A special highlight was the linocut workshop in cooperation with Osnabrück artist Louisa Erbes—a valuable opportunity to expand and strengthen our regional network.
Linocuts
Studio in the exhibition space
An open space that invites communication
In the middle of the exhibition and within sight of the works, the studio, an open-plan but also partitioned room within the room, invited visitors to reflect on the exhibited works together with other visitors, exchange ideas, and discover new perspectives. An open space that invites communication and is therefore a place where art can be reflected upon, experienced, and discussed; in workshops, group tours, and also individually. Visitors made their thoughts visible, shared them, and learned from each other. Impressions and thoughts could be noted on the question cards provided and left on the wall in the studio. This created a lively dialogue in the exhibitions ROOTED AND BRANCHED and MAGICAL WOMEN, and once again it became clear that art is not only an object, but also an occasion for encounter, reflection, and shared thinking.
The accompanying materials included brief instructions for an independent way of viewing art and experimenting: Art Based Learning. Paper and pencils were provided for visitors and were eagerly used.
Studio at ROOTED AND BRANCHED
Excursions
Not just discovering Paderborn
January 16, 2025: Excursion to Paderborn We visited Paderborn as part of the exhibition CUNDA, KNÖS AND KNASPELHUTSCHE, which opened back in 2024. At the Diocesan Museum, the exhibits in the exhibition “Corvey and the Legacy of Antiquity” told exciting stories and still pose mysteries today. At the Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum, the world's largest computer museum, the history of encryption techniques was vividly presented—perfectly matching the presentation at the DAS Forum.
We were particularly delighted about this: From April 11 to 13, the 14th International Symposium on Minority Language Research, organized by the IGS, took place in Münster. For the first time, the award for “Best Innovative Initiatives for Preserving the Rotwelsch Dialect Cultural Form” was presented. Our exhibition CUNDA, KNÖS AND KNASPELHUTSCHE took first place!
Award Ceremony: Jens Brokfeld, Kai Boescker, and Klaus Siewert PhD
June 18, 2025: Excursion to Detmold
On the trail of Russian-German cultural history
While planning the special exhibition ROOTED AND BRANCHED, we came across the Museum of Russian-German Cultural History. The exhibition offered deep insights into the eventful history and culture of the Russian Germans: constant new beginnings, putting down new roots, uprooting. The museum village of Detmold, with its very natural gardens, provided a lively counterpart to the cabinet exhibition A GARDEN FULL OF FLOWERS in the study hall.
July 22 to 24, 2025: 3-day Excursion to Potsdam
Experience restoration up close
Initiated by restorer Ludmila Henseler, we visited the restoration workshops of the Potsdam Picture Gallery. On site, we were shown restored paintings, accompanied by Gerd Bartoschek, art historian and former curator of paintings at the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg.
Potsdam
August 8, 2025: Art Afternoon
Humans and nature in dialogue
The exhibitions of the Draiflessen Collection in Mettingen and the DA Kunsthaus Kloster Gravenhorst in Hörstel were once again linked—now an extremely popular tradition! The focus was on “human-nature relationships.” The afternoon was once again a successful collaboration between two different exhibition venues, bringing people together and facilitating inspiring exchanges.
