Since 2019, the Künstlerhof Frohnau (KHF) and the Department of Art and History Reinickendorf have awarded the Ruckhaberle Award to commemorate the work of artist, curator, and cultural politician Dieter Ruckhaberle. The prize includes €2,000, an artist residency at Künstlerhof Frohnau, and a publication alongside this exhibition. Previous winners include Nafis Fatollahzadeh (2023), Uliana Bychenkova & Anna Scherbyna (2022), Surya Gied (2021), Annette Frick (2020), and Luiza Prado (2019).

In times of heightened political debates, decreasing tolerance, and a shift to the right in society, the Ruckhaberle Prize emphasizes the importance of open spaces for art and discourse to critically reflect on contemporary issues. The prize honors visual artists living in Germany who, through their work, find compelling ways to illuminate complex or underrepresented social contexts and contribute to a nuanced understanding of our time.

This year, seven artists have been nominated for the award: Emma Adler, Arijit Bhattacharyya, Rob Crosse, Anna Ehrenstein, Iden Sungyoung Kim, Ronak Moshtaghi, and Beatrice Moumdjian. Their works stand out for their diversity of perspectives and themes, addressing pressing questions of our time: they explore the mechanisms of political propaganda, the spread of conspiracy myths, and the persistent threat of far-right violence in Germany. They also shed light on the complex experiences of queer Muslim identities and recount diasporic family stories that, through their interweaving of different places and times, raise universal questions of belonging and identity. A central focus is the processing of historical traumas, including the devastating consequences of nuclear war, forced labor, and colonialism. The artists reveal how deeply these events are inscribed in both collective and individual memories and how they continue to resonate today. Despite the weight of many of these topics, a hopeful dimension runs through the works: they articulate a vision of empathy, understanding, and mutual care. In a time marked by division and conflict, these pieces invite us to engage with the perspectives of others and seek shared paths toward a future rooted in solidarity.

The 2024 Ruckhaberle Prize Jury:

Kaya Behkalam, Artist and Chair of Künstlerhof Frohnau e.V.
Dr. Gürsoy Doğtaş, Curator and Author
Rike Frank, Co-Director of the European Kunsthalle and Managing Director of the Berlin Artistic Research Grant Program
Johanna M. Keller, Program Officer of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin
Dr. Sabine Ziegenrücker, Head of the Department of Art and History Reinickendorf

Accompanying Program for the Exhibition
Apéritif and Guided Tour
Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 6:30 PM
With Dr. Sabine Ziegenrücker and Claudia Wasow-Kania.
Location: GalerieETAGE at Museum Reinickendorf, Alt-Hermsdorf 35, 13467 Berlin
Registration: museum@reinickendorf.berlin.de or 030.90294-6460

Artist Talk
Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at 6:30 PM
With curator Sandra Teitge and Dr. Sabine Ziegenrücker.
Location: GalerieETAGE at Museum Reinickendorf, Alt-Hermsdorf 35, 13467 Berlin
Registration: museum@reinickendorf.berlin.de or 030.90294-6460

The Dieter Ruckhaberle Award is an initiative of Künstlerhof Frohnau e.V., in cooperation with the District Office of Reinickendorf, Department of Art and History. The exhibition is supported by funding from the Berlin Senate for Culture and Community Cohesion as part of the basic funding for project spaces and initiatives, as well as the FABiK Fund.