Prize of the Böttcherstraße in Bremen

German award

The “Prize of the Böttcherstraße in Bremen” (Kunstpreis der Böttcherstraße in Bremen) is a German award in the field of contemporary art that was first presented in 1954, making it one of the oldest awards of its kind. According to the Prize's rules, the award is “intended to honour visual artists living in the German speaking area who have not yet received a public distinction of a kind corresponding to the quality of their work”.^[1] From 1985 to 1991, the award was called "Bremer Kunstpreis".

Background

Every two years, ten international curators each nominate an artist who is then invited to participate in an exhibition, hosted by the Kunsthalle Bremen. A catalogue accompanies the exhibition. During the course of the show, an international five-member jury selects the winner of the award.

The prize money of 30.000 Euro^[2] is provided by the Donors’ Circle (Stifterkreis für den Kunstpreis der Böttcherstraße in Bremen), an independent organization within the Bremen Art Association (Kunstverein in Bremen).^[3] The Prize of the Böttcherstraße in Bremen therefore ranks amongst the most highly endowed awards for contemporary art in Germany.

The Donors’ Circle also supports the acquisition of a work by the winner of the prize for the collection of the Kunsthalle Bremen. Works by awardees Martin Honert, Ólafur Elíasson, Wolfgang Tillmans, Tino Sehgal, Ulla von Brandenburg and Tea Jorjadze, among others, have thus entered the museum's collection.

History and awardees

During the course of its existence, the Prize of the Böttcherstraße in Bremen changed its name twice. Originally founded as "Kunstpreis der Böttcherstraße", it was renamed "Bremer Kunstpreis" in 1985. Since 1993 the award is known as "Kunstpreis der Böttcherstraße in Bremen".

"Kunstpreis der Böttcherstraße in Bremen" (1993-present)

Award	Year	Duration of the exhibition	Nominees (Nominators)	Jury	Awardee
Kunstpreis der Böttcherstraße in Bremen^[4]	2020	August 29 – November 1	Bani Abidi, Berlin (Natasha Ginwala) Nevin Aladağ, Berlin (Johan Holten) Jesse Darling, Berlin/London (Dr. Andrea Schlieker) Toulu Hassani, Hanover (Stifterkreis des Kunstpreis der Böttcherstraße) Janine Jembere, Vienna (Dr. Yvette Mutumba) Anne Duk Hee Jordan, Berlin (Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung) Ulrike Müller, New York (Prof. Dr. Christoph Grunenberg) Henrike Naumann, Berlin (Severin Dünser) Raphaela Vogel, Berlin (Thomas D. Trummer) Stefan Vogel, Leipzig (Prof. Dr. Bettina Steinbrügge)	Yilmaz Dziewior, director of the Museum Ludwig, Cologne Stephanie Rosenthal, director of the Gropius Bau, Berlin Christoph Ruckhäberle, artist, Leipzig Susanne Titz, director of the Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach	Ulrike Müller

2018^[5] Arne Schmitt ^[6]
2016^[7] Emeka Ogboh^[8]
2014 Nina Beier^[9]
2012 Daniel Knorr^[10]^[11]
2009 Tea Jorjadze
2007 Ulla von Brandenburg
2005 Clemens von Wedemeyer
2003 Tino Sehgal
2001 Heike Aumüller
1999 Olaf Nicolai
1997 Ólafur Elíasson
1995 Wolfgang Tillmans
1993 Martin Honert

"Bremer Kunstpreis" (1985-1991)

1991 Thomas Lehnerer
1989 Stephan Balkenhol
1987 Eberhard Boßlet
1985 Martin Disler

"Kunstpreis der Böttcherstraße" (1955-1983)

1983 Antonius Höckelmann, Cologne
1982 Mechthild Nemeczek,^[12] Cologne
1981 Alf Schuler, Cologne
1980 Martin Rosz, Berlin, Walter Stöhrer, Berlin
1979 Rebecca Horn, Hamburg
1978 Dorothee von Windheim, Hamburg
1977 Wolfgang Nestler, Aachen
1976 László Lakner, Berlin
1975 Jürgen Brodwolf, Vogelbach, Günther Knipp, Munich
1974 Ursula Sax, Berlin, Max Kaminski, Berlin
1973 Hermann Waldenburg, Berlin
1972 Klaus Fußmann, Berlin
1971 Uli Pohl, Bremen
1970 Hansjerg Maier-Aichen, Leinfelden
1969 Dieter Krieg, Baden-Baden, Michael Schoenholtz
1968 Hans Baschang, Karlsruhe
1967 Gerlinde Beck, Großglattbach, Helga Föhl, Wiesbaden
1966 Jens Lausen, Hamburg
1965 Karl Goris, Hamburg
1964 Ekkehard Thieme, Flensburg
1963 Sigrid Kopfermann, Düsseldorf
1962 Ruth Robbel, Berlin
1961 Günter Ferdinand Ris, Oberpleis/Siebengebirge
1960 Erhart Mitzlaff, Fischerhude
1959 Rudolf Kügler, Berlin
1958 Horst Skodlerrak, Lübeck
1957 Fritz Koenig, Ganslberg/Landshut
1956 Ernst Weiers, Bernried/Starnberg
1955 Hans Meyboden, Freiburg im Breisgau

References

^ Excerpt from the by-laws of the Donor's Circle for the Prize of the Böttcherstraße in Bremen in the Kunstverein in Bremen; §1; catalogue Kunstpreis der Böttcherstraße in Bremen 2018 / Prize of the Böttcherstraße in Bremen 2018, ISBN 978-3-935127-42-4, p. 139.
^ http://www.kulturpreise.de/web/preise_info.php?cPath=2&preisd_id=821, Kunstpreis der Böttcherstraße in Bremen - Bremer Kunstpreis (in German)
^ Excerpt from the by-laws of the Donor's Circle for the Prize of the Böttcherstraße in Bremen in the Kunstverein in Bremen; §2; catalogue Kunstpreis der Böttcherstraße in Bremen 2018 / Prize of the Böttcherstraße in Bremen 2018, ISBN 978-3-935127-42-4, p. 139.
^ "Kunsthalle Bremen".
^ https://artdaily.cc/news/106498/Kunsthalle-Bremen-exhibits-works-by-ten-young-and-promising-positions-in-contemporary-art#.XkFCu4hCeUk Art Daily on the 2018 exhibition
^ https://www.baunetz.de/meldungen/Meldungen-Ludwigshafen_und_BASF_auf_der_Foto-Biennale_5156227.html 2017 interview with Arne Schmitt on his winning contribution "The Hot Peace" (in German)
^ https://www.e-flux.com/announcements/30882/prize-of-the-bttcherstrasse-in-bremen-2014/ Prize of the Böttcherstraße in Bremen 2014, e-flux on the 2014 exhibition
^ "Emeka Ogboh awarded the 2016 Prize of the Böttcherstraße in Bremen | Contemporary and".
^ https://www.berlin.de/kultur-und-tickets/nachrichten/3620917-2154924-nina-beier-erhaelt-kunstpreis-der-boettc.html (in German)
^ https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/der-kuenstler-die-kunst/7339162.html N.K.: Der Künstler die Kunst Tagesspiegel, Nov. 3, 2012 (on artist Daniel Knorr and his contribution "Smoking in the Museum" (in German)
^ https://www.weser-kurier.de/bremen/bremen-kultur_artikel,-Entgleisungen-und-Rauchverbote-_arid,1440643.html Uwe Dammann: Entgleisungen und Rauchverbote, Weserkurier, Aug. 20, 2016 (on the 5-year anniversary of the annex to the Kunsthalle Bremen and Daniel Knorr's contribution to the Prize of the Böttcherstraße in Bremen, "Smoking in the Museum", in German)
^ Peter Winter: Mechtild Nemeczek: Kunstpreis der Böttcherstrasse (15.5.-30.6.82), in: Das Kunstwerk, 35.1982, 4, p. 67 (in German)