Karl & Faber Art Prize 2025

The Karl & Faber Art Prize is being awarded for the fifth time this year. The prize is aimed at students of the Academy of Fine Arts Munich and is intended to make their artistic work visible. The prize is sponsored by the Munich auction house Karl & Faber and the Munich Academy of Fine Arts Foundation.

The Karl & Faber Art Prize is awarded every three years. It was first awarded in 2013 and has since established itself as a regular fixture in the Academy’s calendar. In addition to financial support in the amount of 6,000 euros, the prize also includes the opportunity for a solo exhibition at Karl & Faber in the fall of 2026.

The aim is to support Academy students and present their work to a wider audience.
The Karl & Faber Art Prize is awarded by a jury made up of experts from the art scene. In 2025, this includes:

• Jennifer Braun, art historian and critic
• Dr. Reinhard Spieler, Director of the Sprengel Museum Hanover
• Christina Végh, Director of the Kunsthalle Bielefeld

The jury will select the prizewinner of the year from the submitted positions.

24 students from the Academy of Fine Arts Munich have been nominated for the Karl & Faber Art Prize 2025. The selection covers various classes and artistic focuses. The nominees include Anastasia Akhvlediani, Noah Cubash, Max Frohn, Chalo Schwaiger, Lea Geerkens, Alexandra Müller, Jimmy Vuong, Rosalie Werthefrongel and Maria Zaikina.

The topics range from explorations of memory and material to consumer criticism and questions of the body and technology.

The exhibition focuses on different themes:

• History and material: works such as those by Anastasia Akhvlediani or Max Frohn examine how historical models are transferred into contemporary contexts.
• Memory and places: Works by Auri Sattelmair or Lea Geerkens address collective memories and urban development.
• Ambivalence and threat: Positions by Alexandra Müller or Anna Schaumberger bring uncertainty and fragility to the fore.
• Painting: Artists such as Rosalie Werthefrongel and Simon Stadler use painting as a medium between reality and abstraction.
• Consumption and society: contributions by Minjoon Kim and Yiyuan Zhang deal with consumer practices and their effects.
• Technology and perception: Nicolas Maximilian and Noah Cubash combine digital processes with themes of the body and memory.

The works provide an insight into the diversity of young artistic positions at the Munich Academy.
The Karl & Faber Art Prize is closely associated with the Academy of Fine Arts Munich. It complements the support offered there and offers students the opportunity to present their work outside the university. The cooperation with a traditional auction house gives the award additional visibility.

The works of all nominees can be seen from September 20 to October 2, 2025 in a group exhibition at Karl & Faber in Munich. The exhibition opening and award ceremony will take place on September 19, 2025.

Opening hours:

• Saturday, September 20, 2025, from 12 to 4 p.m.
• Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm

This gives visitors the opportunity to gain an overview of the students’ current work.

The Karl & Faber auction house was founded in Munich in 1923 and is one of the best-known German art auction houses. The focus is on Old Masters, 19th century art, modern art and contemporary art. In addition to auctions, the house regularly organizes exhibitions and is involved in projects such as the Karl & Faber Art Prize to promote young talent.
The Karl & Faber Art Prize 2025 builds on the previous editions since 2013 and continues the promotion of young artists. With prize money, an exhibition and an accompanying supporting program, a forum is created that makes the examination of current issues in art visible.