On October 16, 2025, the Museum im Kulturspeicher Würzburg invited visitors to an artist talk with Winfried Muthesius. His work “1,000 Odysseys,” currently on display in the exterior windows and entrance areas of the MiK, invites viewers to take a second look: photographs of shoes worn on dangerous journeys between Africa and Europe. Silent traces of being on the move – of hope, loss, and arrival.

Museum director Dr. Marcus-Andrew Hurttig opened the discussion together with the artist. Muthesius spoke about his artistic journey – from oil painting to pittura oscura to photography. He emphasized that his works are not spontaneous snapshots, but carefully planned compositions. For him, photography is a painterly process: structure, texture, and form are deliberately staged without changing the motif itself.

In the second part of the evening, Dr. Pia Beckmann, founder of pics4peace and initiator of the #endlichankommen project, engaged participants in the “1,000 Experiences” series in conversation. They shared what arriving means to them – in very personal, sometimes surprising, and often political ways.

One woman reported that she has lived in Würzburg for 55 years, but only feels like she has truly arrived in the last year: since she has had the freedom to choose between Germany and Turkey. A teacher spoke of children who never really settle because they live in constant fear of deportation. Another participant, who accompanies people at the end of their lives, recounted a touching encounter with a woman who said shortly before her death: “Now I have finally arrived.”

The audience was large and participated intensively in the discussion. For Muthesius, this was a special moment: the connection between art and lived experience. Dr. Hurttig also emphasized that the MiK wanted to create precisely this space—a place of encounter, exchange, and understanding.

This is also what the #endlichankommen project is all about: bringing people into conversation, making concerns and hopes visible, creating encounters that would not arise in everyday life. Art becomes a thought-provoker that enables prejudice-free exchange. Diversity should not be seen as something that divides, but as an opportunity.

The photographs from “1,000 Odysseys” can be seen at the Museum im Kulturspeicher until November 2, 2025.

You can find more stories and voices from the project in our #endlichankommen series on the website: www.endlichankommen.info

It's also worth listening to the pics4peace podcast, where many participants share their experiences in more detail.