Alicja und Bożena Wahl: Tensions

The twin sisters Alicja and Bożena Wahl left behind a body of work that includes drawings, paintings, and stage designs, and that focuses on the (female) body as a site of desire, vulnerability, and projection.

CCA Berlin is pleased to present “Tensions,” the first comprehensive posthumous exhibition of the Polish artists Alicja (1932–2020) and Bożena (1932–2025) Wahl. The twin sisters left behind an artistic body of work that encompasses drawings, paintings, and stage designs and focuses on the (female) body as a site of desire, vulnerability, and projection.

The recurring motif of doubling points to an intimate and complex dialogue between the sisters. In particular, their drawings from the 1960s and 1970s are often nearly indistinguishable from one another. In the Wahls’ shared visual universe, hybrid creatures encounter one another in entangled emotional relationships, shaped by the constant struggle between independence and connection. At times, the distorted figures are on the verge of dissolving; at others, their elongated limbs merge into a root-like network. By combining grotesque physicality, desire, and pain, Alicja and Bożena Wahl open up a space for doubt and shame—feelings that are mostly experienced in secret but are universal. Born out of an exploration of the inner spiritual world, Wahl’s surreal visions confront uncomfortable self-images and contradictory needs.

The exhibition will open as part of Berlin Art Week. 

Runtime: Thu, 10/09/2026 to Sat, 14/11/2026

Takes place here:

• CCA Berlin (Center for Contemporary Arts)