Kunstprojekt MAMMAS

Art project "Mammas"

The "Kunst.Speicher Segeberg", represented by Antje Wilkening, M.A., and the "KulturHaus REMISE", represented by Edda Runge, organize an art project in cooperation with "happy for life" for the benefit of cancer research. The project is under the patronage of Jutta Hartwieg, head of the district authority of Segeberg.

The idea
To use art for a good purpose was born by Antje Wilkening, who has an M.A. in art history and who is the Head of the "Kunst.Speicher" in autumn 2008. She came to know Tanja Nahnsen-Block who not only had been suffering from breast cancer since February 2004 but who also had a rare combination of age, tissue type and aggressivity of the cancer. This constellation was responsible for the fact that Tanja was given the opportunity - on a voluntary basis - to immediately take part in a study at the breast cancer research centre Kiel. Thus she had the chance to receive the latest drugs and treatments while at the same time being treated in the traditional way. What followed were six painful chemotherapies, three operations and one radiotherapy. At the end of July 2005 it had been confirmed that she was now free of tumours and metastases.
Tanja Nahnsen-Block as well as Cornelia Möller (a close friend of Tanja's who herself also suffered from cancer) were fond of Antje's idea to use art for the promotion of breast cancer and spontaneously offered their help and support for the realisation of the project.

"Mammas"
As we didn't want to use any foreign or made up words for the description of our project we were looking for a self explaining and short expression. "Mamma" is of Latin origin and stands for the female breast. However, it also contains the word "Mama" (mother) - which we found also very important with respect to the role of many concerned women as mothers for their children. In case of a cancer diagnosis it is not only the breast which is in the focus but also the human being itself and its whole family and social surrounding.