The "Emerging Artists Dortmund festival" was first held in spring 2015 under the auspices of the cultural affairs manager for the City of Dortmund. The festival showcases the potential of young artists from the urban art scene in Dortmund and is aimed at making them more visible in urban society. The Dortmunder Kunstverein e.V. (Dortmund Art Association) is responsible for the artistic direction of the festival. The U2 cultural education centre UZWEI Kulturelle Bildung at the Dortmunder U art space along with the cultural office of the City of Dortmund also play a key role in organising the event.
With its financial support, the Wilo-Foundation helped to launch the festival (website) and has been a private sponsor of the biennial festival ever since. In 2023, at the festival’s fifth edition, the focus was again on showcasing excellent artists and creative minds from Dortmund, enabling them to actively build networks, and giving them the tools they need to develop further and to work professionally and successfully.
The graphic concept of the festival media and the exhibition design, the photos for the catalogue and the information programme on the Emerging Artists group exhibition are developed in cooperation with students and graduates of the universities in Dortmund, based on regular competitions. The exhibition by eight to ten emerging artists, who are selected by an international jury, takes place at the UZWEI education centre at the Dortmunder U. It is accompanied by a free education programme for the general public. The programme focuses on the professionalisation of young artists and also features discussions and workshops on artistic topics for art enthusiasts of all ages.
Photo Header: Visitors to the exhibition Emerging Artists Dortmund 2017 at the Dortmunder U in the rooms of the UZWEI. Photo: Dortmunder Kunstverein e.V., Credit: Vaags, Zeitheim
Our funding partner
The Dortmunder Kunstverein e.V. was founded in 1984 by a citizens’ initiative. It is a non-profit association that wants to promote contemporary art in Dortmund and also does outreach work. Since 2014, it has been located in the immediate vicinity of the Dortmunder U – Zentrum für Kunst und Kreativität, helping to strengthen this cultural centre for contemporary art in Dortmund.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the Dortmunder Kunstverein presented solo exhibitions by renowned artists such as Hanne Darboven, Joseph Beuys, Roman Signer, Richard Serra, and Dortmund-born Martin Kippenberger at its changing locations. Today, its programme focuses increasingly on young projects in contemporary art that have not yet been firmly established. In 2023 the Dortmunder Kunstverein was nominated for the fourth consecutive time for the ADKV-ART COLOGNE Preis für Kunstvereine, an award recognising particularly innovative programming and outreach work.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) forms the global framework for action for socially, economically and ecologically sustainable development. Our funding commitment also supports these sustainability goals. With this project, we are making a contribution to achieving the following SDGs:
