Artists & Parents by Yilmazturk and Brockmann

April 24, 2026

“I Never Had A Chance Not To Be An Artist”

The Project is Part of „Initiative kulturelle Integration“

Link: Artists & Parents Research LAB – Initiative kulturelle Integration

How does artistic life change as a mother and as a father? What influence does parenthood have on the artistic process?

Over the past four years, it was initially central for us to be a good and present mother and a good and present father. At the same time, we asked ourselves how this wonderful, often unpredictable chaos of family life can be integrated into our artistic practice. How can we, as artists, connect our family life and our artistic research without leaving either part behind?

As our working method is strongly shaped by contemporary everyday life and we work across different artistic disciplines that align well with today’s values of child rearing, we began to involve our daughter in parts of our daily work and in selected series of works. Whenever she felt like joining us of her own free will, a form of shared working emerged.

Our daughter is a major source of inspiration for us and allows us to continually question and reconsider existing assumptions and structures. This shared creative time, playing, observing, and what emerges from it is particularly valuable to us, as we experience it together as a family.

From this form of living and working together, many questions arise for us. With our exhibition format, we aim to share these experiences and engage in exchange with other parents and exhibition visitors through workshops and artist talks.

How do parents integrate their children into their creative everyday life, and which forms of collaboration are productive for everyone involved?

How do children, consciously or unconsciously, intervene in the daily life of artists?

And conversely: how do we, as artists, intervene in the daily lives of our children? Where are the boundaries…and when is it too much?

How does parenthood affect the works, and to what extent are they inseparably shaped by the time lived together?

Planned workshop at Modul 1 Flensburg / Artist & Parents Research LAB:
Starting from the work “I Never Had A Chance Not To Be An Artist”, we begin a collaborative work on the gallery wall (parents & children).

We create an artwork together with Kids and Parents. Workshop at a wall in the exhibition space

A participatory work as part of a one-day workshop. Artistic research as a collective process. A wall created by art space visitors, mothers, fathers, and children on the theme “Artists & Parents”, ideally including other artists and their children (open access).

An initial intervention is created by us as a family (see images up: „INHACNTBAA“).

Artistic research:

Evaluation following the process in the form of an Artist Talk. Which motifs did children pick up or attempt to copy (appropriation of parental visual content)?

Which codes, patterns, or visual languages were transformed?

What overall image emerged, and how many participants shaped the process?

Which emotions became visible?

Can European similarities or differences be identified?

Which motifs repeat themselves?

This process will be documented and further researched over the coming years in different locations (Art Spaces / galleries).