JUNGE AKADEMIE (Young Academy) – International Fellowship Programme

A key role of the Akademie der Künste is to foster the work of young, international artists from all disciplines by awarding prizes and fellowships. Young artists from all over the world, working in areas represented in all of the Akademie’s art sections, have been mentored and supported for more than 20 years. They are invited to the Akademie building on Hanseatenweg – a very special place for encounters, with appealing, spacious rooftop studios and guest apartments, that serves as the hub and main sphere of activity of the JUNGE AKADEMIE (genius loci).

The JUNGE AKADEMIE commits itself to cooperation between the arts and artists. The unmistakable potential for each generation of fellows to redefine as creatively as possible a “Kultur des Mit-ein-anders” (Culture with one/an(d)other) each year is the particular appeal, challenge and incentive of the JUNGE AKADEMIE in the sense of “Vielfalt JA! – über Grenzen hinweg” (Pluralism JA! – Beyond Borders). Thus, the JUNGE AKADEMIE stands for a broad spectrum of diverse tasks and oversees a total of five international fellowships, with orientations that are both collaborative and interdisciplinary.

The JUNGE AKADEMIE develops an annual program, as well as internal and public events with fellows, members/mentors, sponsors and partners, both within and outside the Akademie. There are two main focuses of the “Fellows’ Month”, which occur in parallel with the spring general members’ meeting: AGORA ARTES/an interplay of the arts (with final work presentations of the Berlin Fellows of the previous year), and the public PLENUM, showcasing personal introductory presentations of the newly invited fellows from diverse countries around the globe, who have just come to Berlin. Moreover, the JUNGE AKADEMIE participates in the interdisciplinary and thematic main focuses of the entire Akademie, such as Kultur:Stadt (Culture:City, 2013), Schwindel der Wirklichkeit (Vertigo of Reality, 2014) and DEMO:POLIS (2015-16).

The JUNGE AKADEMIE became firmly anchored in the Akademie statutes as its own specialised area in 2007. Its work is accompanied by an advisory committee made up of members from all of the art sections, appointed by the Akademie president.