16.04. ‐ 21.04.2024
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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.

In 2011 the LICHTER Art Award was founded, inviting artists from all over the world to participate in an international competition which is part of the LICHTER FILMFEST FRANKFURT INTERNATIONAL. The award aims to showcase exceptional artistic works in the contemporary field of video art and film. An international jury selects five finalists whose films will be shortlisted and exhibited during the LICHTER Filmfest. The winner will be honored with the LICHTER Art Award, which is endowed with 1,000 €.

In 2011 Luciana Lamothe (ARG) was recognized 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”, in 2018 Jakob Engel (D) with his work „Waiting for record“ was the winner, in 2019 won Andrew de Freitas (CDN/BRA) for his video work „WEIGHT“, in 2020 won Florencia Levy (ARG) for her 4 channel video installation "Lugar fósil / Fossil place”, in 2021 the art collective

Frankfurter Hauptschule (D) won for its video work MOTOR, in 2023 Alice Brygo (F) won with her film Soum and in 2023 Eunhee Lee (KOR) won with her video installation Machines Don't Die.


LICHTER Art Award 2011 – 2023

© Maksim Finogeev

The 13th LICHTER Art Award ceremony. Eva Claus, jury members Britta Färber, Saul Judd; Eunhee Lee, the winner; John Flindt and jury member Liberty Adrien (F.l.t.r.)

13. LICHTER Art Award nominees / 2023:

Muhammet Beyazdağ – Her Şey Yolunda / Everything is Fine, 2022

Eva Claus – Any Way, 2022

John Hussain Flindt – Tales, 2022 / Installation

Eunhee Lee – Machines don't die, 2022 - Winner

Lorena Zilleruelo – SOY NIÑO / I’M A BOY, 2022

© Avi Dehlinger

Johanna Süß, Catherina Cramer & Giulietta Ockenfuß, the winner Alice Brygo, Stéphanie Roland and Melanie Jame Wolf (oben V.l.t.r.).Gregor Maria Schubert, Christin Müller, Saul Judd, and Gunter Deller (unter V.l.t.r.).

12. LICHTER Art Award nominees / 2022:

Iris Blauensteiner & Christine Moderbacher (AT) - Die Welt ist an ihren Rändern blau / The world is blue at its edges, 2021

Alice Brygo (F) - Soum, 2021 - Winner

Catherina Cramer & Giulietta Ockenfuß (D) - Unleash the Beast, Chapter 2. Hagenbecks Zoo, 2021

Stéphanie Roland (BE) - The Empty Sphere, 2021

Melanie Jame Wolf (D) - Acts of Improbable Genius, 2022

© 2021, Gabriel Lutz

The 11. LICHTER Art Award online ceremony. The nominees: Julia Kater and Guilherme Peres (BRA), Tara Knuutila (CDN) and Dudu Quintanilha (BRA/D). Will Fredo (PT/D) and the winner wich was the art collective Frankfurter Hauptschule (D) are not on the picture. Jury members: Carina Bukuts, Jeremy Shaw and Saul Judd.

11. LICHTER Art Award nominees / 2021:

Will Fredo (P/D) - SHTV - Sexual Healers TV, 2020

Frankfurter Hauptschule (D) - MOTOR, 2020  - Winner

Julia Kater und Guilherme (BR) - Anos de noite / Jahre der Nacht, 2020

Tara Knuutila (CND)- Little Women 2, 2020

Dudu Quintanilha (BR/D)- video about, 2020

10. LICHTER Art Award nominees / 2020:

Vanessa Gravenor (D/CDN) This Weapon Drags Like a Boomerang, 2019

Constantin Hartenstein (D) NARC, 2019

Florencia Levy (ARG) Lugar fósil / Fossil place, 2019 - Winner

Pol Merchan (E/D) Pirate Boys, 2018

Maria Molina Peiró (E/NL) The Sasha, 2018

© 2019, Semira Ben Ajili

Saul Judd, Endre Aalrust, the winner Andrew de Freitas, jury members Christina Lehnert and Tamara Grcic (f.l.t.r.)

9. LICHTER Art Award nominees / 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 

Jury member Sergey Harutoonian, the winner Jonathan Engel, finalists Ingel Vaikla, Gregorn Zahn and Saul Judd (f.l.t.r.).

8. LICHTER Art Award nominees / 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

© 2017, Avi Dehlinger

Award 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. 

7. LICHTER Art Award nominees / 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

© Philipp Goldberg

Jury member Fabian Schöneich, the winner James N. Kienitz Wilkins, finalists Sita Scherer & Tina Schönfelder and Saul Judd (f.l.t.r.).

6. LICHTER Art Award nominees / 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 

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.).

5. LICHTER Art Award nominees / 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

© Avi Dehlinger

The opening evening of the LICHTER Art Award 2014: Susanne Radmann, Murray Gaylard, Saul Judd, Bertrand Flanet, the winner; Karola Gramann, Andrew de Freitas and Peter Gorschlüter at VAU. (F.l.t.r)

4. LICHTER Art Award nominees / 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

© 2013, Avi Dehlinger

Jury members Felix Ruhöfer and Saul Judd and the LICHTER Art Award winner John Skoog.

3. LICHTER Art Award nominees / 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

© Dolores Esteves

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.).

2. LICHTER Art Award nominees / 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

© 2011, Jean Wlodarski

far left: Luciana Lamothe, the winner of the 1st LICHTER Art Award. Far right Jurors Saul Judd and Matthias Ulrich.

1. LICHTER Art Award nominees / 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

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