Travelling without borders for peace and freedom

The German-British, German-French and German-Chinese Societies in Bocholt jointly organised a bicycle tour to the cross-border open-air exhibition "Freiheitsstrom". In glorious summer weather, 14 of the 18 participants cycled a distance of around 70 kilometres, engaging intensively with the themes of peace and freedom.

The tour started at the kubaai site at the Bocholt LernWerk. There, curator Verena Winter explained the eight works of art created by German-Dutch artist tandems especially for the 80th anniversary of peace and freedom to the participants in the morning. Four works of art are currently on display in Bocholt along the River Aa and another four in the Dutch twin town of Doetinchem on the "Oude IJssel". The artworks will be swapped between the two cities at the end of August.

Cycling and discussing for peace

During the tour, the group took a relaxed lunch break at the Grand Café de Bank in Doetinchem. In addition to exploring the artworks, the cross-border trip also offered plenty of opportunity to exchange personal thoughts and the current importance of peace and freedom. Joint discussions, encounters and the charming landscape along the German-Dutch border created a special atmosphere and strengthened the sense of community.

Midissage at LernWerk Bocholt

A highlight of the exhibition will be the midi opening at LernWerk Bocholt on Sunday, 31 August 2025, at 2 pm. The works of art currently on display in Doetinchem will be officially presented there and can then be admired in Bocholt until 8 November 2025. At the same time, the "City-Art" event will take place in Bocholt's city centre - a perfect opportunity to view the art stands and the "Freiheitsstrom" exhibition there and thus delve deeper into the history of German-Dutch art and friendship.

Broad support for FREIHEITSSTROM

Many helpers contributed to the success of the FREIHEITSSTROM project: technicians from Bocholt and the Bocholt waste disposal and service company manufactured and installed the substructures, while the artist network WEB from Doetinchem provided the basic elements of their project "20 op een rei". The project is co-financed by the Interreg programme Germany-Nederland, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Bocholt and Doetinchem.

Discover art locations online

The exact locations of the eight artworks in Bocholt and Doetinchem as well as brief portraits of the artist tandems can be found on the website https://www.bocholt.de/freiheitsstrom. Flyers are also available at various locations. The artworks can be seen on the kubaai site in Bocholt and on the IJssel in Doetinchem until 8 November 2025.