The LICHTER Art Award
The LICHTER Filmfest Frankfurt International has been celebrating independent local and international filmmaking since its beginning in 2008. Alongside annual competitions of short and feature films, the festival presents a quality program on international contemporary video art.
Curated by Saul Judd since 2010, the visual arts section started with the exhibition “stimulus kino – subliminal cinema,” focusing on the use of cinematic reference as a strategic technique in (and of) contemporary art. Among the participants of this first edition were Mike Bouchet, artist from New York now based in Frankfurt, and Keren Cytter, born in Israel, based in New York. Both Cytter and Bouchet had formerly been represented at the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009.
An international jury chooses five finalists whose works will be shortlisted and exhibited during the LICHTER Filmfest. The winner, also appointed by the jury, will be honored with the LICHTER Art Award, a prize endowed with 1,000 Euro.
In 2011 the LICHTER Art Award was officially founded, inviting artists from all over the world to create a regular international competition accompanying the film festival. The award aims to gather and present exceptional artistic works in the contemporary field of visual arts. In 2011 Luciana Lamothe (Argentina) was recognised for her outstanding piece “Caja Tarro Silla Marco,” in 2012 Oliver Husain (D/C) won the award for his installation “Dear What’s Your Face”, in 2013 John Skoog (S/D) won for his film “Sent på Jorden”, in 2014 Bertrand Flanet (F/D) won with his installation "Unmanned Distances", in 2015 Jonathan van Essche (B) won with his film "Second of August", in 2016 James N. Kienitz Wilkins (USA) won with his film "B-Roll with Andre", in 2017 Tobi Sauer (D) won with his video work “Simba in New York”, 2018 Jakob Engel (D) was the winner with his work “Waiting for record” and in 2019 Andrew de Freitas (BRA) was the winner with his work “WEIGHT”.
LAA19 / Saul Judd, Endre Aalrust, the winner Andrew de Freitas, jury members Christina Lehnert and Tamara Grcic (f.l.t.r.) © Photo by Semir Ben Ajili
Finalists of the LAA 2019:
Endre Aalrust (NOR/D), Dear Deer, 2018
Zanny Begg (AUS) The Beehive, 2018
Andrew de Freitas (CDN/BR), WEIGHT, 2018 - winner
Natasha A. Kelly (DE) Milli's Awakening, 2018
Lisa Kori (USA), Three Minute Eggs, 2018
LAA18 / jury member Sergey Harutoonian, the winner Jonathan Engel, finalists Ingel Vaikla, Gregorn Zahn and Saul Judd (f.l.t.r.).
Finalists of the LAA 2018:
Nikita Diakur (RU/DE), Ugly, 2017
Jakob Engel (DE), Waiting for Record, 2017 - winner
Martin Kohout (CZ/DE) Slides, 2017
Ingel Vaikla (EE/BE), Roosenberg, 2017
Gerald Zahn (A) Die Galerie /The Gallery, 2017
LAA17 / ceremony (f.l.t.r.): Saul Judd, Luzie Meyer, the winner Tobi Sauer, Fritz Laszlo Weber, jury member Olaf Stüber, Holger Jens, Stefan Ramírez Pérez. Photo by Avi Dehlinger © 2017
Finalists of the LAA 2017:
Holger Jenss (D), Last Chance Junction, 2016
Luzie Meyer (D), The Balcony, 2016
Stefan Ramírez Pérez (D), AS MUCH AS ANYONE, 2016
Tobi Sauer (D), Simba in New York, 2016 - winner
Fritz Laszlo Weber (D), making waves,,, unmastered, 2016
LAA16 / jury member Fabian Schöneich, the winner James N. Kienitz Wilkins, finalists Sita Scherer & Tina Schönfelder and Saul Judd (f.l.t.r.).
Finalists of the LAA 2016:
Zanny Begg,( AUS), 1001Nights, 2015
Fabiano Mixo (BR/G), WOMAN WITHOUT MANDOLIN, 2015
Yalitsa Riden (CAN), Shoreline, 2015
Sita Scherer and Tina Schönfelder (D), Ansichten, 2015
James N. Kienitz Wilkins (USA), B-ROLL with Andre, 2015 - winner
LAA15 / The opening evening of the LICHTER Art Award 2015: Finalists Mandy Krebs, Ayla Pierrot Arendt, Anna Zett, the winner Jonathan Van Essche and the team Saul Judd, Alla Poppersoni and Simon Schmidt (f.l.t.r.).
Finalists of the LAA 2015:
Ayla Pierrot Arendt (D), GESPIELIN, 2014
Jonathan Van Essche (B), The Second of August, 2014 - winner
Mandy Krebs (D), Heritage Creek, 2014
Alina Vasilchenko (RUS), I Like Going To Pet Stores, 2014
Anna Zett (D), This Unwieldy Object, 2014
LAA14 / Saul Judd, the winner Bertrand Flanet and jury members Karola Gramann and Peter Gorschlüter at VAU. Photo by Avi Dehlinger © 2014
Finalists of the LAA 2014:
Clémentine Coupau (F), Louve, 2013
Andrew de Freitas (NZ/ CDN), Fuckmeadows, 2013
Bertrand Flanet (F/D), Unmanned Distances, 2013 - winner
Murray Gaylard (ZA/D), Drinking Tea in Russia, 2013
Luiz Roque (BR), Ano Branco, 2013
LAA13 / jury members Felix Ruhöfer and Saul Judd and the LICHTER Art Award winner John Skoog. Photo by Avi Dehlinger © 2013.
Finalists of the LAA 2013:
Etienne de France (F), Tales of Sea Cow, 2012
Jennifer Gelardo (USA) and Iván Robles Mendoza (CHILE), translate : skepticism, 2013
Lena Grewenig (D), l'oeil/das Auge, 2012
Henrike Naumann (D), Triangular Stories, 2012
John Skoog (S/D), Sent på Jorden, 2011 - winner
LAA12 / award ceremony with the finalist Yuki Kishino, Clemens Wilhelm, Young Joo Lee, Sabine loew and the jurors Mike Bouchet, Saul Judd, Sophie von Olfers and the parents of the winner Oliver Susain (who was not present) (f.l.t.r.).
Finalists of the LAA 2012:
Oliver Husain (D/CA), Dear What´s Your Face, 2010 - winner
Yuki Kishino, (JAP), The distance between one and another, 2012
Young Joo Lee (KOR), EXPOSURE (The Twins), 2012
Sabine Loew, (D), Maikäfer flieg!, (D), 2006-12
Clemens Wilhelm (D), READ ME, 2011
LAA11 / far left: Luciana Lamothe, the winner of the 1st LICHTER Art Award. Far right Jurors Saul Judd and Matthias Ulrich / photo by Jean Wlodarski © 2011
Finalists of the LAA 2011:
Mario Asef (ARG/D), Börsianer/The Operators, 2009
Luciana Lamothe (ARG) Caja Tarro Silla Marco, 2011 - winner
Hanna Hildebrand (CH/D), A Party With a Purpose, 2009
Jessica Sehrt (D), RealiTies, 2010
Rebecca Ann Tess (D), A Crime must be committed, 2010