From 25 February to 28 March 2005, the Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle of the Federal Republic of Germany will present the 17th federal competition in the series „Art Students Display Their Works“. This is the sixth 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.
The website www.kunst-wettbewerb.de informs about the artists and their works on-line. (the website starting from 24 February 2005, up to then finds one under the address the competition 2003.)

“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. This time are 50 artists at the start, among them two pairs of artists and a group.

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:

Jörg Biesler, Free Culture Journalist, Westdeutschen Rundfunk, Cologne
Dr. Eugen Blume, Chief Curator, Hamburger Bahnhof, Museum für Gegenwart – Berlin
Dr. Brigitte Huck, Curator and Art critic, Vienna


The prizes will be awarded during the opening ceremonies on 24 February 2005.