From 31 January to 2 March 2003, the Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle of the Federal Republic of Germany will present the 16th federal competition in the series „Art Students Display Their Works“. This is the fifth time that the competition has been staged here. The biennial awards are sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology, and the event is organised by the German Student Services Associations.

The competition aims to foster and promote young artists, to give them an opportunity to show their work outside the groves of academe and to prove themselves under professional conditions in the art trade: Here they can present their works in museum facilities, match themselves against students from other academies, and face the criticism of journalists. There is also a catalogue with a four-page presentation of each participant.

“Art Students Display Their Works” is the only forum in which students of all art academies and colleges in Germany present themselves together. The number of participating institutions has now grown to 23 and includes, for the first time, the Academy for Film and Television Potsdam-Babelsberg. The exhibition thus provides a representative survey of art education in Germany. All media ranging from traditional paintings to internet artwork are eligible as entries. Rarely is there an opportunity to gain such a comprehensive view of the positions staked out by the youngest generation of artists.

Contest entrants are selected as follows: First, each institution chooses two of its students, pairs or teams of artists being counted as a single entrant. The selected candidates then meet for the joint exhibition in Bonn and enter the actual competition: from the entrants, the jury selects the prize-winners.

The jury consists of three members who cannot be art teachers at any one of the institutions. They are jointly appointed by the Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle and the Conference of Deans and Rectors of German Art Colleges, Academies and Universities. The prizes consist of cash awards and working grants. The division of the prize money is decided by the jury, which at its own discretion can award it in graduated amounts or divide it equally.

The following persons have agreed to serve on the jury this time:

• Stefan Koldehoff, culture editor at Deutschlandfunk, Cologne
• Dr. Ulrike Lorenz, Director of the Gera Art Collection
• Dr. Bernhart Schwenk, contemporary art conservator, Pinakothek of Modern Art, Munich

The prizes will be awarded during the opening ceremonies on 30 January 2003.

The editing and layout and design of the competition poster and catalogue are traditionally undertaken by one of the participating art institutions. In charge this time is the Academy of Visual Arts, Leipzig. For the 2003 competition it has chosen the motto “Here we come!”, a motto that aims both to express the self-assurance of the up-and-coming generation of artists and to stimulate curiosity and critical scepticism.