Beginning with Modernist and post-war German art, and with an eye to the fostering of young talent and current positions, path-breaking works have been collected since the late 1970s. Along with expanding significant bodies of work, for instance by Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, and Sigmar Polke, newcomers have always been taken into consideration as well. Photographers such as Thomas Ruff and Andreas Gursky were already part of the collection at the beginning of their careers, as was the painter Neo Rauch. At the same time, the collection is constantly growing younger and more international. Whether it’s Pop and Minimal Art, Japanese photography, or Young British Artists: all the important movements after 1945 are represented here. Today, the focus of the collection is increasingly on the new art centers in Africa, China, India, and South America, which are taking on increased importance in a globalized culture. This is also reflected in the art presentation in Deutsche Bank’s Frankfurt Towers. Here, approximately 100 international artists from over 40 countries are on view, providing evidence of a transformed art scene. A critical examination of the effects of globalization and migration, outdated gender roles, and the legacy of modernism – these are the artistic questions and social issues that occupied these contemporary artists and the KunstHalle program. Read more on the Deutsche Bank Collection here.

An essential aspect in the selection is that the artist addresses social issues in an individual way and has already created an inimitable and exceptional body of work in which works on paper or photography play a key role. In contrast with many other awards, the “Artist of the Year” is not a monetary prize, but a constant of Deutsche Bank’s art program that supports new positions and promotes the acquisition of works for the corporate collection. The prize culminates in the “Artist of the Year” solo exhibition at the Deutsche Bank KunstHalle, which subsequently travels on to other international venues. The artist is also invited to design a special edition for the KunstHalle.

Each year, an internationally renowned curator puts on a “carte blanche” exhibition as well as an exhibition from the Deutsche Bank Collection. At the same time, the KunstHalle cooperates with a worldwide network of institutions.

The KunstHalle sees itself as a part of this vital scene, offering new, path-breaking positions a venue for their first major exhibitions. Parallel to this and on a regular basis, the Deutsche Bank KunstHalle presents a show in close partnership with a Berlin art institution.