“The Best Time of Our Lives”

An exhibition by Celina Myyry in the water tower of the Kunsthalle Lingen

Dancing, singing and boisterous partying – all these things we have been longing for back since the Corona pandemic. It is precisely this feeling of normality that Celina Myyry wants to awaken with her exhibition.

As part of the Federal Volunteer Service for Culture and Education, Celina Myyry (born 2002) dealt with the current life situation of young people in her project. In the process, the exhibition entitled “The Best Time of Our Lives” also reflects her own situation. Because while she was doing her Abitur in 2021, she, like many other young people, had to do without course trips, variety shows, Abi holidays and Abi parties because of the pandemic, which not only Celina Myyry found frustrating – without, however, doubting the necessity of the measures.

The exhibition of a snapshot of a party scene is intended to create the impression that young people were partying exuberantly and uninhibitedly one second ago and suddenly disappeared the next, as if the party had to end abruptly – a question of presence and absence. Both party rooms seem deserted – there is not a soul to be seen, nor is there music or voices to be heard. This is to illustrate that all the people were torn from their lives by the pandemic and confronted with a situation they would never have expected.

The scene is reminiscent of good times with friends and family that everyone hopes will soon be over. But also of the reality in which it is currently impossible to celebrate exuberantly and uninhibitedly and clubs and discos are suddenly closed.

The opening of the exhibition will take place on Saturday, 12 February 2022 at 7 pm in the water tower of the Kunsthalle Lingen.

Special thanks go to Marianne Berlage, Meike Behm, Peter Lütje, Franz-Josef Surmann, Annette Sievers, Juliane Plesmann, Lisa Nikowski, and Bettina and Marko Myyry.

The exhibition is generously supported by the city of Lingen (Ems), the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture, the Heinrich Kampmann Cultural Foundation, the district of Emsland, the Federal Volunteer Service, the LKJ Lower Saxony, as well as the Kunsthalle and the Lingen Art School.

“It should have been the best time of our lives!”