“One Word: Love”. A Conversation with ADELE on Memory, Art, and Continuing a Shared Vision

Since Eva’s passing, ADELE has been alone. Yet the sense of “we” remains unmistakably present. It lives on in every object, every photograph, every carefully preserved fragment of a shared artistic life.

I meet ADELE in her apartment and studio in Berlin. The rooms feel like a living archive, filled with colour, memories, and artistic presence. Everywhere there are traces of a life devoted to a radical vision of identity, visibility, and art. Together, EVA & ADELE created far more than performances. They created a way of living, a work of art that unfolded continuously over decades.

Our conversation moves between loss and continuity, between remembrance and the future.

ADELE, which memories of Eva are particularly present in your daily life today?

Above all, Eva’s smile.

Every morning when we woke up, we would smile at each other before anything else. That was how we started the day. Today, I smile at her photograph, and it smiles back.

And then there are the small rituals. Coffee and cake, for example. That was one of Eva’s great passions. In moments like these, I feel especially close to her.

Has your perspective on art, public life, and performance changed since her passing?

No.

The loss is real, and so is my life on my own now, but my attitude towards art, society, and human connection has remained the same.

Perhaps I am a little more communicative as an individual. As a duo, so much was built around synchronicity. Our movements, our conversations, everything carried a theatrical quality, almost like a stage performance. Today I show myself more openly, even though I continue to represent our shared work.

EVA & ADELE were often ahead of their time. Which of your visions feel particularly relevant today?

What matters most to me is that queer people today can participate in society more openly and live more freely.

When we were working in Berlin in the late 1980s, the atmosphere was much colder. I believe, and hope, that our work contributed in some small way to greater openness and acceptance.

We consciously brought our image into the world. And we know it had an impact. We receive many messages from people telling us that our work accompanied them on their own journeys. One message I remember particularly well said: “You have been the guiding stars of my own gender journey.”

How do you intend to continue or reinterpret the artistic legacy you created together?

A major focus at the moment is my work with biographical sculptures.

These pieces incorporate objects from our lives and performances. Several are already being shown in international exhibitions, including the Biennale of Lyon, the Museum der Moderne Salzburg, the Georg Kolbe Museum, and the National Gallery of Contemporary Art.

Alongside this, I am working on a publication dedicated entirely to these sculptures, which is scheduled for release in 2027.

Are there new projects or forms of expression you would like to explore as a solo artist?

We have always worked across different media, and that will continue.

The artistic language may evolve, but the principle remains the same.

What role does Berlin play for you today, both as the setting of your shared history and as a place for your future development?

Berlin is my home.

It is also the artistic home of EVA & ADELE.

I love this city. It offers an incredible cultural spectrum, from Renaissance painting and opera to contemporary art. At the same time, nature is never far away.

Most importantly, Berlin is filled with inspiring people, artists, and friends with whom I feel deeply connected.

Many people have experienced EVA & ADELE as a symbol of profound connection. What would you like that message to remain?

One word:

Love.

When you think about the years ahead, what continues to motivate you artistically and personally?

What drives me is the desire to continue dedicating my full potential to the work of EVA & ADELE.

For me, it is also a way of honouring the life we shared and everything we created together.

Finally, a personal question. What emotional significance do the two Lesunja bracelets hold for you?

The bracelets contain jewellery pieces that Eva once wore. I am literally carrying original parts of her with me.

For me, they are both personal memories and works of art. They have already been designated as part of a future biographical sculpture.

There is something deeply beautiful about continuing to bring her jewellery into the world.

What becomes evident throughout our conversation is that EVA & ADELE was never simply a performance project. It was a lifelong artistic commitment, lived every day and shared with the world.

Today, ADELE continues that journey alone, yet never entirely alone. Eva remains present in the photographs, the sculptures, the rituals, and the memories. Most of all, she remains present in the work itself.

And perhaps that is the most powerful form of immortality art can offer.