When does the exhibition take place?

The exhibition is open on Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 9:30 PM.

Where does the art exhibition take place?

The event location is the Geschichtswerkstatt Altes Volksbad at Mittelstraße 42, 68169 Mannheim.

How much does entry cost?

Entry to the exhibition is free.

Which artists are being presented?

Works by visual artists Huang Xiaoye and Ümmühan Türk are displayed.

Is there also a performance?

Yes, TrashIQ and Malte Brammer will present a Butoh performance. This will take place on Friday and Saturday during the opening hours of Lichtmeile.

Are there guided tours or educational offers?

Information on guided tours and educational offers will follow.

Lichtmeile 2026: Experience Body, Material, and Memory at the Old Public Bath Mannheim

Name: Lichtmeile 2026: Huang Xiaoye and Ümmühan Türk – Art Exhibition
Start: 2026-10-18T13:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-18T21:30:00+02:00
Location: Geschichtswerkstatt Altes Volksbad

Body, Material, and Memory: Art at Lichtmeile 2026

The Lichtmeile 2026 presents the works of the visual artists Huang Xiaoye and Ümmühan Türk at the Old Public Bath Mannheim. In the historic bathing area, contemporary painting, mixed media, as well as textile and material art meet in an exhibition that connects perception, body images, and cultural identity.

Huang Xiaoye: When the Body Becomes an Image

Huang Xiaoye's artistic practice revolves around the relationship between body, system, and image. Her works explore how recordings, image media, and societal order systems shape our perception of the human body. Repetition, memory, subjectivity, touch, and digital image culture form central reference points in her painting and mixed-media works.

The examination of the works opens a multifaceted view on image repetition, layering, and sedimentation. Artistic dissolution meets the idea of a living membrane: The image preserves traces, transmits impressions, and shifts the boundaries between physicality and representation. Huang Xiaoye, also known by the name Yuan, studied in Beijing, lives today in Heidelberg, and works in Mannheim. Her works have been shown regionally and internationally, including in Copenhagen, Enschede, Hamburg, and Shanghai.

Ümmühan Türk: Felt, Fabric, and the Formation

Ümmühan Türk is dedicated to the sensual potential of felt and fabric. Water, time, pressure, and movement transform the soft, almost amorphous material into an independent shape. The manufacturing process remains open: The artist works with her hands, allowing the material space for resistance, and observes how a form develops step by step.

In this tension between control and self-movement lies a central aesthetic experience of the exhibition. Ümmühan Türk's textile works speak about artisanal practice, body memory, and life between two cultures. Between preserving the familiar and the emergence of the new, the works develop a quiet, tactile intensity.

Exhibition Atmosphere in the Old Public Bath

The historic bathing area of the Old Public Bath gives the presentation a special spatial effect. Architecture, materiality, and contemporary art enter into a dialogue. The exhibition is part of the 42nd edition of the Ad Hoc Art exhibition series and connects the free art scene, cultural education, and urban festival atmosphere.

The art exhibition is complemented by a Butoh performance by TrashIQ and Malte Brammer. The body-oriented performance addresses the questions of the exhibition and expands the examination of the works to include movement, presence, and the perception of the body in space. The performance takes place on Friday and Saturday during the opening hours of the Lichtmeile.

Conclusion: Experience Contemporary Art with All Senses

The Lichtmeile 2026 offers a concentrated art experience between painting, mixed media, textile material, and performance. Huang Xiaoye and Ümmühan Türk open different perspectives on body, memory, identity, and formation. Those who want to experience contemporary art in an atmospheric historical setting should visit this exhibition on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at the Old Public Bath Mannheim.