Maria Fabricius-Wendt Wins »Lyonel Kunstpreis 2024«
Freie Kunst graduate Maria Fabricius-Wendt was awarded the »Lyonel Kunstpreis 2024« on Friday, 12 July 2024. The award, which honours the final projects of up-and-coming talent in the Faculty of Art and Design and comes with a 2,000 euro prize, has conferred by »Lyonel – Verein zur Förderung von Kunst, Gestaltung und Kultur (Lyonel e.V.)« since 2019.
Maria Fabricius-Wendt (born in 1994 in Bad Salzungen; currently living and working in Weimar) uses her drawings and sculptures to explore realities as they are experienced by the individual, particularly in relation to faith and the associated effects on perception of the world. She examines themes from the fields of sociology, philosophy, psychology, and religious studies, combining them with autobiographical elements in her work and creating a unique mythology.
During the awards ceremony, the three jurors recognised that each of the nominated artists created outstanding works and exhibited them in a cohesive way. The four nominated artistic pieces all shared the fact that they placed people as social beings at the centre of the discussion. »One artistic cosmos, however, radiated especially brightly«, explained Dr. Jenny Graser, reading out the joint jury statement. »Maria Fabricius-Wendt’s carefully selected complexity of material made her drawings and sculptures particularly convincing. Based on her own personal experience, but also reaching far beyond it, the artist reflects on themes such as domestic violence, the relationship between perpetrator and victim, and the deconstruction of these relationships. She focusses on blurred boundaries and created her own individual images beyond the obvious, thus making the spaces between private and public, and truth and lies tangible. Her work is also permeated by the exploration of opposites: the delicate, fragile and intimate on the one hand and the dark, brutal and hard on the other.« An essential prerequisite for a successful career as an artist is finding one’s own voice, which Maria Fabricius-Wendt has achieved to a particular degree.
A total of four graduates were nominated by the jury for this year’s »Lyonel Kunstpreis«. All of the final projects, including Maria Fabricius-Wendt’s »Die Gewalt im Stillen«, will be exhibited as part of a group exhibition for summaery2024 on Saturday, 13 July from 12 – 8 pm and Sunday, 14 July from 12 – 6 pm at Berkaer Straße 11.
The 2024 »Lyonel Kunstpreis« nominees:
Maria Fabricius-Wendt, Till Röttjer, Simon Surjasentana and Rio Usui
Jurors:
Dr. Jenny Graser (Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin), Andrea Karle (Kulturstiftung Thüringen, Gotha) and Julia Rosenbaum (ROSENBAUM Art Advisory, Berlin)
The 2024 »Lyonel Kunstpreis« is supported by the »Wiegand Manufactur Weimar«, the »jenacon foundation« and the »Lyonel e.V.«
The exhibition was curated for the third time by a team from the »marke.6« student initiative.
About the »Lyonel e.V.«:
The »Lyonel e.V.« is a non-profit organisation that support the promotion of art, design, and culture. The initiative was launched in 2019 by regional entrepreneurs and is sponsored by Constanze Roth, Juliane Keith and Dr. Sebastian Händschke to support Freie Kunst graduates. The »Lyonel Kunstpreis« is awarded in cooperation with the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. The prize is awarded to graduates from the Faculty of Art and Design and honours outstanding final projects. (www.lyonel-kunstpreis.de, E-mail: info[at]lyonel-kunstpreis.de).
Questions can be directed to Romy Weinhold, Press and Public Relations Officer for the Faculty of Art and Design by phone at +49 / 36 43 / 58 11 86 or by e-mail at romy.weinhold@uni-weimar.de.