Art Award “Hannes Malte Mahler – it is art®”

Hannes Malte Mahler (1968–2016) was an artist who lived and worked in Hanover. He graduated from the Braunschweig University of Art as master student of Marina Abramović. His oeuvre includes drawings, paintings, illustrations, sculptures, installations, performances and photography. As a workaholic bon vivant, he merged art and life into an indivisible unit.

The HANNES MALTE MAHLER art award was founded by the non-profit association feinkunst e.V. and will be awarded every four years. The aim of the prize is to enable its winner to present their artistic position with a generous budget as well as to give an extraordinary impetus to Hanover’s cultural scene, which was so close to Mahler’s heart.

Entries are invited from professional artists, who should submit an outline for an artistic project. Any medium may be used: From drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film and video up to performance.

Award Information

• Applicants should be graduates in Fine Arts or hold a commensurate degree qualification from an art college or specialist university department, or they should have a documented longstanding professional career as an artist (solo exhibitions, catalogues, publications).
• Applicants should develop an outline for an artistic project which – following Mahler’s stance – transcends the classical boundaries between different genres of art. Hence, any medium or genre may be used, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, video installation, performance or indeed any combination thereof. The winning project could be presented within a traditional museal exhibition, but it could, for instance, be an intervention in public space.
• The prize consists of a cash award of € 15,000 and a production budget of up to € 105,000 available for implementing the proposed project.
• The successful applicant will present the winning project in Hanover, either at the Sprengel Museum Hannover, the exhibition rooms at feinkunst e.V. or possibly in public space in the City of Hanover.

Criteria

• All Artists, regardless of age, gender and nationality, are eligible to apply. Applicants should be graduates in Fine Arts or hold a commensurate degree qualification from an art college or specialist university department, or they should have a documented longstanding professional career as an artist.
• To enter the competition, applicants will submit a project proposal for an artwork of any genre, whether painting, sculpture, photography, video or performance. The Proposal should in some way reflect Hannes Malte Mahler’s expansive concept of art.
• Initially the jury will choose a shortlist of six to eight submissions. These will be presented to the jury and the public in a four-week exhibition from 28 February 2024 at feinkunst e.V. From this shortlist, the jury will select the 2024 award winner at the exhibition and announce it on 29 February 2024.

Details

• By 15 January 2024: Selection of a shortlist of six to eight submissions
• 28 February 2024: Opening of the exhibition of shortlisted project proposals (last day of the exhibition: 28 March 2024)
• 29 February 2024: Prize winner will be announced by the jury
• 2026: Official award ceremony, followed by the start of the project (The exact date will be agreed on by everyone involved in the project.)

For more information, visit feinkunst e.V.