The exhibition is now closed. If you or someone you know suffers from symptoms of dementia such as memory lapses or speech and writing difficulties, please speak to your doctor directly.
A disappearing exhibition with a lasting impact: The Fading Memories Exhibit was an art exhibition organized by the Alzheimer Forschung Initiative e.V. in cooperation with VML Germany. The aim of this unique exhibition was to convey the personal experience of Alzheimer's sufferers and their relatives in an artistic way.
We wanted to raise awareness about noticing dementia symptoms first and then going to the doctor as quickly as possible if they are detected. Despite significant advances in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's and the development of new drugs in the last two decades, existing drugs work best when used at an early stage. Therefore, an early visit to the doctor plays a crucial role in recognizing dementia symptoms – the sooner advice from an expert is sought, the sooner the progression of the disease can be slowed down.
During the exhibition week from 2nd to 9th of April 2024 at the Galerie erstererster in Berlin, numerous visitors admired the various works of art. But not only that: they were surprised by a change that nobody had expected beforehand. With each day of the exhibition, the artworks faded more and more so that they were barely visible at the end. We were able to generate this effect by integrating heat plates into the picture frames, which constantly supplied the pictures with heat so that they became increasingly paler. This not only allowed our artists to visualize their stories about Alzheimer's and the disappearance of memories in a creative way, but also to share their experiences with all the visitors and helpers at this unique event.
A Ukrainian-born artist whose journey led her to Berlin in pursuit of her artistic aspirations
My family originally came from Uberlungwitz in Saxony, where they had a textiles factory. My painting is a rendition of a painting of my grandmother posing in a Bikini infront of her father's factory. That turned out to be the first ever painting of a women wearing a bikini.
The factory ended up being seized by the nazis, and my grandmother had to flee to Argentina.
My painting evaluates two forms of memory, the personal memories of my grandmother, lost to Alzheimer’s and the societal memories of Germany, that seems to be forgetting its own dark past.
I painted my memory of Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca, Mexico.I wanted to capture a moment tied to Mexico because it holds a special significance for me: I met my partner there, Frida Kahlo is one of my favorite artists, and I am endlessly inspired by its colors and flowers.
Dia de los Muertos is all about remembering and honoring the dead, while Alzheimer's prevention and this exhibition focus on preserving and not forgetting cherished souvenirs.
On the painting you see two hands peeling a giant pomelo fruit. It´s a childhood memory of my Thai grandmother. I used to visit Thailand in my summer holidays with my Thai father in his family house in the middle of Bangkok. So I sat there with my grandmother in her little garden, on this stone bench and table and she would peel a huge pomelo for me.
There is a certain technique to it, because it has this thick skin. It was a rare intimate moment with my grandmother, also because I only spoke a little Thai and little English at that time and she also didn`t speak much English, so it was all more about gestures and small words in between us. She already passed away a long time ago, but I keep this memory dearly in my heart.
I believe we as humans live many lives in one. This minimalist painting depicts a silhouette difficult to misunderstand, especially for people who share my same experience.
This work is about my great-grandmother, she lived a long life and even had the opportunity to raise me.
She was saved by her parents from dispossession; she was taken out in a chest with holes at the age of 5 from her native place. From the age of 18 she taught geography during the Second World War on the territory of what is now Turkmenistan. She gave birth to three children and had five grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. She lived her life at 83 years old.
Unfortunately, 3 years before the end of her life, Alzheimer’s was not discovered; she remembered very selectively, but she always remembered me and told incredible stories of her life.
The painting captures key moments from my life, each image a cherished memory etched into the canvas. Skateboarding and basketball stand out prominently, symbolizing some of my main passions. The skull, a stark reminder of mortality, contrasts with the silhouette of the character sporting a baseball cap, embodying vitality and the essence of life itself.
My great grandmother had a house with a very big and beautiful garden full of flowers. We spent a lot of time together in the sun taking care of it. My favorite flower was the Camellia. I wanted to make tea from them. Even though my great grandmother knew it wouldn't be drinkable, she made the tea because she loved me very much. We didn't drink it but we shared a beautiful moment together. With time, she wasn't able to recognize me anymore, but my loving memories with her remain untouched until today.
As I moved places very often in my life, home was always more a feeling rather than a specific place. Growing up means creating a home - a place where one feels loved and safe. It is about the relationships we build, the creations we surround ourselves with and the souvenirs we collect in life. The feeling of home is ever evolving. What we once believed was our home can feel estranged tomorrow and vice versa. Berlin is home. Is it?
K/O is about coming home - walking into my actual home and coming home to myself. I remember feeling like I am standing in the light and letting everything else fade into darkness. It was a little thought and I was already on the stairs.
One cherished memory I have is of my grandpa, who turned 87 this year, sitting at our kitchen table with an old newspaper spread out in front of him and eforthlessly beginning to draw formulas on it and to explain geometry to me as I was always struggling with maths at school. His mind was extremly sharp and I'm grateful for all the knowledge he shared with me. But alongside the nostalgia of those beautiful moments is a lingering fear – the fear of these memories fading away.
The painting is a depiction of my mother standing on her head. The many eyes symbolize the altered perception that people with Alzheimer's often experience. The eyes look in different directions and reflect the confusion and disorientation of the disease. The upside-down image symbolizes the inversion of reality that Alzheimer's sufferers often experience. The usual world order is out of joint and those affected often feel lost and alienated. There is a feeling of loneliness, confusion and loss. The mother's eyes and unnatural posture reflect the suffering and frustration associated with the disease.
The viewer can see a person walking through on a beach, surrounded my a lively garden and a a stormy sea. There are many faces on the painting, symbolising the forgotten: people, places and memories.
Faces in the water being washed away, faces on the beach being left unrecognised and a lovely garden, as a sign of the beauty of life. This painting might feel confusing, but it was meant to be. Intention was to show how a person suffering from Alzheimer could feel: confused, but open.
Having seen Alzhimer's up close in the last decade of my father's life, I have seen this disease slowly erode his most recent memories leaving him trapped in monumental life events that took place at an earlier time.
Which is why I toyed with the idea of painting life events in photographic reel negatives that captured these memories from decades ago. The most significant one being his marriage to my mother, and other milestones centered around his children. The handful of people whose stories and presence he could truly recall and recognize without any aid in his last days.
The irony being that even though these physical pictures are with us in our family albums, at the end of the day they are just memories which will fade with the passage of time, their only evidence preserved on leftover reels in some box somewhere.
This painting is my tribute to him and his struggle.
Peonies and forget-me-nots bloom bravely, their colors exploding like memories fighting for survival amidst the fog of Alzheimer's. Each petal and leaf is a testament to resilience and fleeting beauty, urging us to capture the fleeting moments before they slip away, reminding us of the bittersweet journey of memory and loss.
For people with Alzheimer’s and their families, it is often a painful process as memory, consciousness and personality are gradually destroyed. For over 25 years the Alzheimer Forschung Initiative e.V. has been commited to making Alzheimer’s curable and supporting those affected and those interested. For more information please subscribe to our newsletter.
You can still support the cause of our exhibition with a donation.
