To mark the 80th anniversary of the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin, the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation and the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin are jointly launching the Irene Ludwig Prize for outstanding young artists. The prize is worth 10,000 euros and will be awarded annually from 2027 onwards, for a period of ten years, to a graduate of the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin. The award commemorates the collector Irene Ludwig (née Monheim), who would have turned 100 in 2027, and is intended as a symbol of social responsibility both now and for the future.
Image above: Foto: Heike Overberg.
The collaboration builds on a shared history: the benefactor, Irene Ludwig, comes from the Monheim family, who ran a chocolate factory on the site now occupied by the Weißensee Academy of Art, Berlin, from 1921 onwards. In 1946, the metal sculptor Otto Stich, together with other artists, founded the ‘Kunstschule des Nordens’ there, which later became the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin.
Funding for critical and socially relevant viewpoints
At a time when artistic education is coming under increasing pressure to prioritise efficiency and commercial viability, the Irene Ludwig Prize stands as a symbol of artistic freedom, experimental practice and the promotion of young talent. “In the true spirit of Irene Ludwig, who always emphasised the importance of being free and keeping one’s sights set on the future, this prize is intended to be a generous gift to the younger generation of artists. We are delighted to showcase the enormous potential of young artists at this venue, which has historic ties to the Ludwig Foundation,” says Dr Carla Cugini, Executive Director of the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation.
The prize promotes critical and innovative artistic approaches that bring art and the public together and view works of art as socially relevant mediators. It is intended as a deliberately open and forward-looking statement.
Eligible to enter are final-year students at the art academy, as well as graduates and students on master’s programmes who graduated no more than one year ago. A wide range of artistic approaches across a variety of media will be considered: from the Fine Art programme (Sculpture/Painting/Stage and Costume Design) as well as the postgraduate Master’s programme in Spatial Strategies. “The Irene Ludwig Prize not only provides lasting support for the artistic work of our graduates, it also distinguishes the weißensee kunsthochschule berlin as a vibrant centre of artistic excellence,” says Dr Angelika Richter, President of the weißensee kunsthochschule berlin.
A historical connection with a vision for the future
The award is decided by an independent expert jury. The jury comprises one representative each from the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation and the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin, as well as three external jury members. Dr Yilmaz Dziewior, Director of the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, and Dr Kathleen Reinhardt, Director of the Georg Kolbe Museum and curator of this year’s German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, have already confirmed their participation for the first award ceremony.
In 2027, Irene Ludwig would have turned 100. Whenever possible, she directed the focus onto others: onto art, and onto the numerous institutions worldwide with which she and her husband, Peter Ludwig, collaborated. She saw generosity as a binding and forward-looking attitude. On special occasions, she preferred to give gifts rather than receive them herself. By establishing the Irene Ludwig Prize, the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation and the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin are
embracing this ethos.
About the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation
Founded in 1997 by Irene Ludwig and established in perpetuity, the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation carries on the shared vision of the collector couple. Its aim is to collect artistically and culturally significant works in collaboration with museums and to make them accessible to the public. The internationally renowned Ludwig Collection now comprises more than 14,000 objects ranging from antiquity to contemporary art. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Foundation’s funding policy is forward-looking, dynamic and cross-border in its approach. In addition to acquisitions, the Foundation now primarily supports exhibitions and academic projects in order to strengthen the long-term promotion of art and culture, as well as international understanding.
About the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin
Founded in 1946 as an alternative to the traditional academy, the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin was established. Stemming from the teachings and philosophy of the Bauhaus, the university is characterised by its unique profile. With its interdisciplinary teaching and research in the fields of art, design and science, it offers excellent conditions for study. Its artistic and creative development projects make a significant contribution to relevant processes of social change and cultural discourse.
WHERE?
weißensee kunsthochschule berlin
Bühringstraße 20
13086 Berlin
