When does the tour take place?

The public tour takes place on April 6, 2026, from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

Where is the event located?

At the Kunstforum Hermann Stenner, Obernstraße 48, 33602 Bielefeld.

What is the cost of admission?

For the public tour, the museum entry plus 2 euros per person applies.

Is the Kunstforum accessible?

Yes, the building is wheelchair accessible. There is a platform lift, an elevator, a wheelchair-accessible restroom, and a designated parking space.

Do I need to register for the tour?

No, registration is not required.

Are there additional educational offerings?

Yes, the Kunstforum also offers tours, workshops, and programs for children, teenagers, adults, and teachers.

Aatifi transforms Bielefeld into a luminous studio of abstract letter art and modernity

Name: Guided tours on Sundays and holidays through the exhibition
Start: 2026-04-06T17:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-04-06T18:00:00+02:00
Location: Kunstforum Hermann Stenner

Aatifi – Maraka: A tour through color, writing, and space

On April 6, 2026, the public tour through Aatifi – Maraka at the Kunstforum Hermann Stenner opens up a view of an exhibition that combines abstract painting, graphics, and installation into an intense art experience. Amidst bright colors, dynamic lines, and freely floating fragments of writing, an exhibition atmosphere emerges in which cultural memory and contemporary art intertwine in a special way.

A work between calligraphy and the present

Aatifi, born in 1965 in Kandahar and an artistically based in Bielefeld for 25 years, develops a unique visual language in his work that spans Islamic calligraphy, expressive use of color, and Western-influenced modernity. The retrospective showcases around 100 works from several phases of creation, making visible how signs, ink, canvas, and paper form a highly condensed aesthetic experience.

Maraka as an open dialogue of art

The title Maraka refers to Pashto and describes a meeting, a free exchange, a conversation. This openness characterizes the exhibition: Aatifi places abstracted elements of Arabic writing into new contexts, liberating them from their original coding and transforming them into visual rhythms full of depth, light, and movement. Particularly impressive are the works created specifically for this exhibition that bring the presence of the studio into the museum space.

Curating, education, and sensory engagement with the work

The exhibition is curated by Aatifi himself and is complemented by a mediation program that addresses children, teenagers, adults, and teachers. This makes the exhibition not only a place of contemplation but also of cultural education. Those participating in the tour will experience how painting functions as a space of thought: as a bridge between tradition and the present, between materiality and spiritual condensation, between form and meaning.

The Kunstforum Hermann Stenner as a vibrant exhibition space

The Kunstforum Hermann Stenner at Obernstraße 48 presents itself as an ideal setting for this presentation. The location symbolizes open encounters with art from the 20th and 21st centuries, for curated exhibitions and for high-level mediation. Accessibility, public tours on Sundays, and a well-connected location in downtown Bielefeld facilitate visits and invite spontaneous exploration of the exhibition.

Conclusion

Aatifi – Maraka offers a rare opportunity to experience an internationally recognized artist in a concentrated retrospective. The tour on April 6, 2026, deepens the insight into a body of work that connects calligraphy, color, and space into a distinctive and compelling artistic language. Anyone interested in contemporary painting, intercultural visual worlds, and strong exhibition experiences should not miss this date.