Patronage

Greetings from patron Stefan Knobloch

The art prize organizer, Albin Homeyer, approached me with the request to assume patronage of the German Art Prize 2026/27.

Art powers future is a bold and challenging motto. However one translates it, art creates the future, art presents the world from the perspective of its creators, from their point of view, art dares to take new paths – art is always the work of artists, be it in the fields of painting, sculpture, photography, or any hybrid forms in between.

Art is not an abstraction, and not even abstract art is. It engages with the world, it wants to be perceived, it invites discussion and engagement. 

Art, in whatever form, is not a self-contained world. The motto “l’art pour l’art” does not do justice to the art world in any way. It has a somewhat derogatory connotation, or perhaps it’s a telltale sign of a world distancing itself from contemporaries who are detached from art.

The Germany Art Prize initiative seems to me to contribute to ensuring that art doesn’t develop in this direction, in a world impoverished by life. And it does so with an international scope that truly opens up the future. Not a dictated future, but an open future that challenges us because it cannot be precisely predicted.

Artists allow themselves to be challenged by the future in their paintings, sculptures, and photographic creations, driven by a passion, indeed, by an addiction to creating art. And always based on their own lives, their origins, their life stories, but above all, on their imagination and their affirmation of life.

Artists encounter themselves in their work, in their lives, in their questions, in the light and the darkness of life. Finally, I think—and I venture to speak as a theologian – that the ultimate motivation behind her work is not existential despair and contempt for life, but rather a vision that extends beyond the confines of her own existence, which the motto of the Germany Art Prize aptly captures: Art powers the future.

Yours, Stefan Knobloch

Greetings from patron Hargen Depelmann 2025/26

The GERMANY ART PRIZE offers academically trained artists from Germany and abroad a unique opportunity to devote themselves to current topics (slogan: Art powers future) on the basis of a supranational competition – and to use the non-verbal language of fine art to offer a position or vision as an artistic message in the areas of painting, sculpture, photography/digital art and graphics.

At a time when the leaders of the superpowers are playing “va banque” and politics and the press have lost credibility, visionary and meaningful artists are in demand, perhaps more than ever before! As a retired gallery owner, I can look back on over 40 years of national work, including at numerous art fairs in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. As patron, I am happy to make the contacts and opportunities that have arisen from this available to the art prize organizers in order to breathe new life into the great potential of this art competition for the benefit of the applicants.

One of the “adjusting screws” is the book for the ART PRIZE GERMANY, in which the artists nominated by the independent expert jury – and the art prize winners – are presented on one page each with their works, as well as on the website kunstpreis-deutschland.de.

As patron of this competition, I am looking forward to artistically unique applications from young artists, who will not be charged a processing fee for one submitted work. I wish everyone involved, young artists and established artists, and the expert jury, a successful work, and a good outcome for the application phase and art prize ceremony.

Yours, Hargen Depelmann

Greetings from the patron Heinrich Prince of Hannover

It is a great honor for me to be able to take over the patronage of the ART PRIZE DEUTSCHLAND 2024/2025. The motto of the art prize: “Art powers future” coincides with my vision of a forward-looking, powerful society as well as a historically anchored humanistic culture. As in previous years, art can challenge our future – and as before, we want to discuss art with artists.

We call on artists from Germany and abroad to have their submitted works in the disciplines of painting, sculpture, photography/digital art viewed by an independent jury. In the actual sense, it is not about awarding an art prize in the manner of a competition, but rather about questioning and possibly activating our ways of seeing and thinking. Together we want to experience art and enliven our future with it.

Every generation seeks change in art, which does not simply reflect the spirit of the times – as is always claimed – but rather, through its creative achievements, contributes to the creation of what we interpret as the spirit of the times. With its visionary sensitivity, art itself is often a harbinger and scout, a seismograph of impending new “quakes”.

Embarking on unknown paths through art also means approaching the future with an open mind. “Art powers future”! Visual artists see themselves as mediators who develop new forms of visual representation in order to achieve new insights and a new understanding of reality. For the awarding of the Germany Art Prize 2024/2025, I wish everyone involved a lot of joy in the art that connects us so much as humans.

Heinrich Prince of Hannover

ART PRIZE GERMANY 2023/24

Greeting from Dr. Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate
Every person, every city, every country and every continent has its story. And to a large extent, these stories shape the image we create of ourselves and of those around us. Our cultural heritage makes us who we are. It determines our worldview and our worldview determines our actions.

All cultures are in constant change. Basically, all civilizations and cultures are amazing hybrids. Historically speaking, they developed through exchange and synthesis, through the encounter of different peoples, religions and philosophies. The different cultures of this world have never been pure, self-contained units that developed out of themselves.

“Probably nothing in the world has to endure more nonsensical remarks than a painting in a gallery,” said Edmond de Goncourt. So what can one say publicly about art? “Have the courage to use your own reason,” Kant said. I would add: Stand by your feeling, even if it doesn’t agree with that of the general public.

When we feel joy and creative excitement, we will always find a way to express ourselves. In order to sing, one must first have a song in one’s heart. If you then really want to write a poem, you write it, in whatever form. But then what is art? “Becoming human is an art”, the poet Novalis reminds us!

Dr. Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate

ART PRIZE GERMANY 2022/23

Greetings from the patron Wilhelm von Boddien
When I received the request as to whether I would take over the patronage of the ART PRIZE GERMANY 2022 with the motto “Art powers future”, I was a little surprised, although over the decades I have developed a very close proximity to the fine arts and the art discipline of architecture could.

Since, as the initiator of the reconstruction of the Berlin Palace, I had to overcome perfectly organized, powerful resistance for years, especially from the architects’ and art historians’ lobby, I see the above-mentioned motto of this art prize as a great opportunity to break down institutional rigidities and righteousness and thus perhaps even set the first course for to stimulate a new direction in the visual arts and the art discipline of architecture.

Rebuilding the castle first meant overcoming the incredible power of modernity and its institutions, which, with their very successful lobbying, secured a decisive influence on the building history of the post-war period. It dominates the colleges, universities and building institutions and has a dominant influence on our urban design through the clever distribution of the jury members of architectural competitions, usually in consultation with the state authorities.

Modernity, especially in our cities that were destroyed by the bombing and the post-war demolition frenzy, has made them partially faceless during reconstruction. Without the few remaining historical buildings and the surrounding landscape, they would almost all look the same because since the end of the war they have given themselves over to an anonymous form based on the dictates of the same price-cost-benefit calculation everywhere. But this also led to more and more civic engagement in the art discipline of architecture, which can be an example for the future of the visual arts in overcoming hurdles. “Art powers future”.

In my opinion, I see the lost individuality of many of our citizens, companies and public services in this art prize as a challenge for the jury to particularly deal with the terms power and future when determining the art prizes.

I see this year’s art prize as a great opportunity to begin a change of direction in the institutions. The motto of this art prize (Art Powers Future) calls on artists to create visual messages that are suitable to give impulses to the protagonists in business, politics and administration.

Wilhelm von Boddien