Alumna Leila Keivan Receives Thuringian State Scholarship for Fine Art
Leila Keivan, graduate of the »Public Art and New Artistic Strategies« degree programme in the Faculty of Art and Design, has been awarded the Thuringian State Scholarship for Fine Art. The scholarship, worth 10,000 euros, will allow her to carry out an artistic research project on home, memory, and belonging.
Her project is based on the questions of how people experience home when familiar social structures disappear or change. To answer this question, she plans to engage in discussions with members of the so-called second GDR generation as well as migrants currently living in Thuringia. The Iranian-born artist recognises similarities between the two groups: »At first glance, the group groups seem to have more differences than commonalities«, she says. Yet, from her perspective, both share the experiences of loss and alienation and often feel marginalised by society.
The project centres on an archive of conversations, memories, and individual perspectives. Using artistic methods, Keivan is hoping to bring attention to these experiences and open up spaces for exchange. Adina Rösch, Director of the Museum Lyonel Feininger in Quedlinburg and member of the jury, praised the project, stating: »The work exemplifies how history lives on in everyday life, how a sense of belonging is negotiated, and how art can become a space where complex experiences are taken seriously.«
During the certificate presentation, State Secretary for Culture Prof. Steffen Teichert emphasised that: »With the state scholarships […] we are hoping to give artists the opportunity to focus on their work, to try out new ideas and to implement artistic projects. […] Especially in the cultural sector where things are increasingly influenced by economic considerations, it is also the responsibility of cultural policy to strengthen independent artistic positions and secure the necessary freedom for these artists.«
The second state scholarship was awarded to artist Bettina Schünemann. Her project explores the history of Gotha as a centre of cartography and geography by combining digital satellite images with analogues artistic techniques. In her work, she examines how images shape and influence our sense of direction and how we understand the world.
The Thuringian State Scholarships for Fine Art are awarded in cooperation with the Kulturstiftung Thüringe and the SV SparkassenVersicherung.
A number of working grants were also awarded to Bauhaus-Universität Weimar alumni, including Natalia Castillo Rincón, Tim Helbig, Paloma Joana Llambías Ottone, Till Röttjer and Florian Wehking.
Further information can be found under www.thueringer-landesstipendien.de