Students from the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar succeeded at the ADC Talent Award 2026
Three students from the Faculty of Art and Design won the coveted ADC Nails at the ADC Talent Award 2026: Nina Buschendorf received a Silver Nail for her »Sexismus gibt es erst seit 23 Stunden« project, Xiaoyi Jin was also awarded a Silver Nail for her »TRIADISCHER GIN« project, and Mai Do was awarded a Bronze Nail for her »VOXAIPE – Decoded« project. Eight additional works received a total of nine awards.
Nina Buschendorf brings an abstract historical dimension to life in »Sexismus gibt es erst seit 23 Stunden«. To do this, she chose to use a shift in scale that is as simple as it is clever: She condensed two million years of human history into a single calendar year. Her work reveals just how recent systematic injustice and everyday violence are in the history of our species. These aspects only appear on the last day of this imaginary year. Buschendorf’s Master’s thesis translates this insight into an infographic journey through time. A 55-metre-long printed strip of fabric runs through a mechanically operated installation. Day by day, the crank turns and a different image of humanity and gender relations unfolds. The final day is represented in a leporello that includes the developments that have transformed the way we have been living together for the past 5,000 years or so. A video about the project can be found here: vimeo.com/1197687702
The secret of Xiaoyi Jin’s »TRIADISCHER GIN« lies in the label. A double-layer lenticular system transforms the bottle into a small stage. When turned, the silhouettes and grid lines come to life. This creates animated figures, alluding to Oskar Schlemmer’s »Triadic Ballet«. Jin’s semester project translates Weimar’s Bauhaus heritage not as a historical reference, but as a choreographic principle into a modern packaging design. Xiaoyi Jin has combined a sense of regional connection and high-quality craftsmanship with an interactive design for the Wiegand Manufactur Weimar. She makes rhythm, movement, and reflection immediately tangible. A video about how the idea came about can be found here: vimeo.com/1197403407
In »VOXAIPE – Decoded«, Mai Do makes visible what would otherwise remain fleeting: the form of a voice. The semester project uses an AI-supported system. It analyses vocal characteristics such as timbre, rhythm, pitch, and volume. It then uses them to generate variable letter forms. In this way, speech becomes design, and typography becomes a graphic record of voice. The work explores how artificial intelligence understands human expression and translates it into a tangible form. A 228-page artist’s book that documents the typographic progression of a monologue lasting several minutes complements the installation. A video about »VOXAIPE« can be found here: vimeo.com/1194534836
Eight other projects were honoured at the ADC Talent Award. These include projects from the fields of storytelling, illustration, editorial design, motion graphics, brand design, and spatial design.
The ADC Talent Award is one of the most prestigious competitions for emerging young designers in the German-speaking world. Awards are given for work in the fields of communication, design, digital media, film, photography, illustration, concept, spatial design, and other related disciplines.
Overview of All Awards
ADC Nails
»TRIADISCHER GIN« by Xiaoyi Jin
Silver Nail in the »Semesterarbeiten > Brand Identity / Brand Design« Category
Semester project, supervised by Prof. Burkhart von Scheven and Masihne Rasuli
»Sexismus gibt es erst seit 23 Stunden.« by Nina Buschendorf
Silver Nail in the »Abschlussarbeiten > Experimentelle/Künstlerische Gestaltung« Category
Master's thesis, supervised by Prof. Burkhart von Scheven and Masihne Rasuli
»VOXAIPE – Decoded« by Mai Do
Bronze Nail in the »Experiment > Kreativer Einsatz von Technik« Category
Semester project, supervised by Marcel Saidov
Honourable Mentions
»RED AF* – Red Asian Flush« by Soo Ah Youn and Anastasia Fast
Award in the »Semesterarbeiten > Craft > Storytelling« Category
Semester project, supervised by Prof. Burkhart von Scheven and Masihne Rasuli
»Von einem freien Pups« by Clara Irmer
Award in the »Craft > Illustration« Category
Semester project, supervised by Hannes Naumann
»ARTGERECHT« by Anna Buhler
Two Awards Given in the »Konzeption & Entwurf von Corporate Publishing« and »Illustration« Categories
Semester project, supervised by Prof. Burkhart von Scheven and Masihne Rasuli
»ACHTUNG summaery2025« by Mona Kerntke and Leonard Behre
Award in the »Semesterarbeiten > Brand Identity / Brand Design« Category
Semester project, supervised by Prof. Burkhart von Scheven, Masihne Rasuli, and Adrian Palko
»DROWNING IS SILENT« by Alexander Knauer
Award in the »Abschlussarbeiten > Bewegtbild Gestaltung > Live Action Film« Category
Bachelor's thesis, supervised by Prof. Jörn Hintzer
»To Mark is to Mean« by Emelie Gannert
Award in the »Concept > Editorial Products« Category
Master's thesis, supervised by Prof. Markus Weisbeck and Marcel Saidov
»SET MAGAZINE« by Jülide Alemdar, Laura Hörning, and Lilli Sörries
Award in the »Konzeption & Design von unabhängigen Verlagsprodukten« Category
Semester project, supervised by Marcel Saidov
»Ein Messestand für Leipzig« by Emelie Brockhaus, Bruno Domingos, Johannes Fest, Ames Grund, Pauline Kuritz, Bennet Mielke, Christina Reinfant, Sina Robering, Denise Sawade, and Hauke Scholz
Award in the »Public Space« Category
Semester project, supervised by Florian Hesselbarth
In case of questions, please contact Romy Weinhold, Press and Public Relations Officer for the Faculty of Art and Design by phone at +49 3643/58-1186 or by e-mail to romy.weinhold[at]uni-weimar.de.