»AhnSisters« A mobile art project (2022–2024)

In a specially converted 1970s caravan, Bremen-based artists Dina Koper and Gisela Brünker-Pérez explored the stories of their female ancestors. One family line traces its northern German-Slavic roots through regions of present-day Poland, while the other leads back to Chile, with Italian and Spanish roots extending into the culture of the mestizas. What did their mothers, aunts, grandmothers and great-grandmothers experience? What did they have to endure and suffer through? What paths did they take? What did their challenges look like? And what about their dreams, secret desires, fears and passions?

Over the course of the two-year creative process, the two artists conducted research, held numerous conversations, and unearthed old photographs and letters. Through their artistic exploration, the caravan became a mysterious space for life-moments and paths.Inside and out, layers were built up and exposed, drawn and erased, painted and painted over, constructed and dismantled, filmed and edited, crocheted and embroidered, upholstered and padded. The result is a meticulously designed, deeply experimental space — just as colorful, quirky, extraordinary, sad, tragic and unsettling as many of the lives of these women.

With »AhnSisters«, the artists skillfully and seemingly effortlessly break away from conventional forms of art presentation, playfully blending genres ranging from painting, sculpture and photography to arts and crafts and media art. The artists traveled throughout Germany with »AhnSisters«, visiting art nights, markets, street theater festivals, cities and villages. The exchange with people along the way further transformed and enriched the mobile art project. Many visitors left behind their own thoughts and reflections, sharing their personal stories and those of their mothers. With this mobile art project, Dina Koper & Gisela Brünker-Pérez have created a truly distinctive and deeply immersive experience.