The VG Award 2025
Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation/Switzerland
Vordemberge-Gildewart Stipendium 2025

’Stipendium 4.0’
Museum Wiesbaden/Germany

Curated by Jörg Daur and Valerie Ucke

Competition 24 September 2025

Vernissage 25 September 2025

Exhibition running 26 September - 30 November 2025

Publication with texts on all nominated artists available.

The Award of the Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation 2025 went to Augustine Paredes.
Congratulations and Best wishes!

Nominated artists
Augustine Paredes, Berit Spieß, Elisa Diaferia & Juri Simoncini, Gregor Lau, Kaitong Zhang, Klara Schnieber, Jana Köhle & Dominik Münch, Kora Riecken, Nazanin Hafez, Paul Haas, Sonja Yakovleva, Tatjana Stürmer, Theresa Lawrenz, Tobias Becker

 

Since 1983 the Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation/ Switzerland gives out a yearly award that is judged by an international jury, taking place in a museum or exhibition hall in Switzerland, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Italy, Austria and Poland.
With this prize of 60.000 SFR the Foundation created one of the highest regarded prizes for young artists up to 35 years. Support is given to exhibition and catalogue showing all the shortlisted artists and their positions.
In 2025 Jörg Daur and Valerie Ucke worked out a list of nominated artists out of the larger Rhine-Main-Region for competition and exhibition – ’Stipendium 4.0′, taking place at Museum Wiesbaden from on 24 September 2025.

The VG AWARD is a guest at Museum Wiesbaden already for the fourth time after 1997, 2004 and 2012.
Museum Wiesbaden holds the greatest and most important collection of works by Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart, maintains the Vordemberge-Gildewart Archive with all documents out of life and work of the artist Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart and his wife Ilse Leda, the Foundress of the Foundation and the VG AWARD.

Exhibition KÖRPERGEOMETRIE – Ilse Leda und Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart

Museum Wiesbaden/Germany

Vernissage 25 September 2025

Exhibition running from 26 September 2025

 The exhibition is accompanied by the book described below, is curated by Roman Zieglgänsberger.

KörperGeometrie
Ilse Leda und Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart

texts by Roman Zieglgänsberger and Arta Valstar-Verhoff

Museum Wiesbaden/Germany and Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation/Switzerland
Berlin 2024

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart (1899-1962), als Künstler mit den Großen seiner Zeit verbunden, und Ilse Leda (1906-1981), Tänzerin, Tanzpädagogin und Choreografin, lernten sich kennen, als die internationale Avantgarde der konstruktiven, ungegenständlichen Abstraktion, mit ihr neue klare Formen der Fotografie, des Films und des Tanzes in Hannover Station machten.

Beide waren tief beeindruckt von der großen Utopie einer durch klare Gestaltung und Schönheit verbesserten Welt. Sie nahmen diese Prinzipien für sich an, als Ausdruck ihres Denkens und Arbeitens – durch die Zeiten des Aufbruchs, der Emigration nach Amsterdam und des Ankommens bei einer sehr persönlichen Kunst aus formaler Reduktion und brillanter Farbigkeit, aus Leichtigkeit und tiefer Menschlichkeit.

Einfühlsame Texte und eindrucksvolle zeitgenössische Fotografien zeichnen ein respektvolles Miteinander zweier Künstler auf Augenhöhe, die sich gegenseitig unterstützten und inspirierten. Sie spiegeln das Bild einer großen Liebe, die alle Brüche dieser Zeit überdauert hat.

Jet Sloterdijk

Avantgardist ’Tussen Wal en Schip’. De Duitse, Franse en Nederlandse receptie van het Hannoveriaanse oeuvre van Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart

English and german summaries by Arta Valstar-Verhoff
Museum Wiesbaden/Germany and Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation/Switzerland 2024

New research and Masterthesis out of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, based on work at Kunstmuseum Den Haag

The VG Award 2024
Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation/Switzerland
Vordemberge-Gildewart Stipendium 2024

‘RENAISSANCE’
Museion – Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art, Bolzano/Bozen Italy

Curated by Leonie Radine from Museion Bolzano

Competition 22 March 2024

Vernissage 22 March 2024

Exhibition running 23 March – 01 September 2024

Publication available

The Award of the Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation 2024 went to Monia Ben Hamouda.
Congratulations and best wishes!

Nominated artists
Monia Ben Hamouda, Costanza Candeloro, Filippo Contatore, Isabella Costabile, Binta Diaw, Giorgia Garzilli, Sophie Lazari, Lorenza Longhi, Magdalena Mitterhofer, Jim C. Nedd, AliPaloma, Luca Piscopo, Raphael Pohl, Davide Stucchi, Tobias Tavella

RENAISSANCE brings together a selection of works by young artists who were born or raised in northern Italy, have studied at local art academies or universities, and/or live and work in the region. A particular curatorial focus was placed on fostering the exchanges between South Tyrol and Milan.

The exhibition highlights primarily the work and research of each of the participating artists and the diversity of their individual practice. All these positions share, in the broadest sense, a critical examination of the notion of cultural heritage, social and aesthetic “standards,” and the persistence of ghosts from the past. In fact, the artists use found methods, images, fabrics, objects, architectures, or waste products from cultural or creative industries to develop their work at the intersections between visual and applied art. In this way, they expose the foundations of hegemonic tropes of representation and power structures and address questions of belonging and cultural identity in various transdisciplinary ways.

The exhibition takes place in conjunction with a grant of 60,000 Swiss francs, which the Swiss-based Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation annually awards in collaboration with a European museum or art institution, in 2024 this is Museion, to an artist up to the age of 35. With one of the highest grants for young art in Europe, the Foundation aims to preserve the spirit of the work of the artist Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart (1899–1962). The award of the scholarship was initiated by the founder, Ilse Leda, the artist’s wife. The group exhibition forms the base from which the grantee will be selected by an independent international jury. There are no conditions attached to the use of the grant money given to the recipient of the VG Award.

The exhibition takes place in conjunction with the VG AWARD 2024 and is accompanied by a publication with texts on all the artists involved.

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart
Part of the Exhibition
‘Delinking and Relinking’

The Collection of the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven The Netherlands

Important Presentation of works by Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart

at Museum Wiesbaden, Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and Kunstmuseum (Gemeentemuseum) Den Haag

The VG Award 2023
Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation/Switzerland
Vordemberge-Gildewart Stipendium 2023

‘12 Artists – 12 Rooms’
Kunstmuseum Appenzell

Competition 18 March 2023

Exhibition running 19 March - 11 June 2023

Catalogue available

The Award of the Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation 2023 went to Tina Omayemi Reden. Congratulations and best wishes! 

The VG Award 2022
Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation/Switzerland
Vordemberge-Gildewart Stipendium 2022

COMPETITION AND EXHIBITION
mumok Vienna

Running from 2 June 2022

Curated and worked out by: Manuela Ammer. Marianne Dobner. Heike Eipeldauer. Rainer Fuchs. Naoko Kaltschmidt. Matthias Michalka. Franz Thalmair

Catalogue available

The Award of the Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation 2022 went to Huda Takriti.
Congratulations and best wishes!

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart
Part of the Exhibition
Revenir vers le futur

L’Espace de l’art concret
Mouans-Sartoux France

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart
Part of the Exhibition
Chefs-d’OEuvre photographiques du MOMA. La Collection Thomas Walther

Musée Jeu de Paume, Paris

2021/2022

THE VG AWARD 2021
VORDEMBERGE-GILDEWART FOUNDATION/ SWITZERLAND
VORDEMBERGE-GILDEWART STIPENDIUM 2021

COMPETITION AND EXHIBITION
KIT Kunst im Tunnel/Kunsthalle Düsseldorf

Running 26 November 2021 - 13 February 2022

Curated and worked out by: Gertrud Peters

Catalogue available

The Award of the Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation 2021 went to Harkeerat Mangat.
Congratulations and best Wishes!

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart
Part of the Exhibition
Masterworks of Modern Photography 1900-1940.

The Thomas Walther Collection at The Museum of Modern Art, New York
MasiLugano & Camera Torino

2021

Catalogue available

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart
Part of the Exhibition
Au rendez-vous des amis

Sammlung Goetz & Sammlung Moderne Kunst der Pinakothek der Moderne Munich

Running until 16 January 2022

Catalogue available germ./engl.

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart
Part of the Exhibition
Hauptsache Malerei. Werke aus der Hilti Art Foundation

Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein Vaduz

Running: 6 November 2020 - 10 October 2021

Catalogue available 

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart
Part of the Exhibition
The Hilti Art Collection

Hilti Art Foundation at Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein/Vaduz

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart
Part of the Exhibition
Engineer, Agitator, Constructor: The Artist Reinvented

The Museum of Modern Art New York/USA

until 12 September 2020

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart – Between Constructivism and De Stijl
Exhibition

Kunstmuseum/Gemeentemuseum Den Haag/The Netherlands

Running 22 February - 21 June 2020

 

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart – The Dutch Years

Running : 29 February - 21 June 2020

VG Award 2020 Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation/Switzerland
Exhibition

GEM Kunstmuseum/Gemeentemuseum Den Haag/The Netherlands

Opening 22 February 2020

Running 23 February - 5 April 2020

Curated by:  Benno Tempel/Yasmijn Yarram/Daniel Koep
Worked out by: Astrid Goubert

Yearly award given to one young artist up to the age of 35 years through an international jury. Support is given by the Foundation to exhibition and catalogue showing all the young shortlisted artists and the winner of the prize.
The Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation started its work in 1981 through the last will of Ilse Engelina Vordemberge, née Leda, 1906-1981, widow of the artist Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart, called VG. The foundation is based in Rapperswil/Switzerland.

Award of the Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation 2020:
Nadia Guerroui

The Prize of Recognition went to Eva Giolo.

Congratulations and best Wishes!

VG Award 2019 Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation/Switzerland
Exhibition

ALTE FABRIK. Gebert-Stiftung für Kultur in Rapperswil/CH

Opening 24 May 2019

Running 25 May - 7 July 2019

curated by Alexandra Blättler

Yearly award given to one young artist up to the age of 35 years through an international jury. Support is given by the Foundation to exhibition and catalogue showing all the young shortlisted artists and the winner of the prize.
The Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation started its work in 1981 through the last will of Ilse Engelina Vordemberge, née Leda, 1906-1981, widow of the artist Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart, called VG. The foundation is based in Rapperswil/Switzerland.

Award of the Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation 2019:
Martina-Sofie Wildberger

Congratulations and best Wishes!

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart
Part of the Exhibition
Von Albers bis Zukunft. Auf den Spuren des Bauhauses

2019 - 2020

Catalogue available 

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart
Part of the Exhibition
40 Jahre – Meisterwerke zu Gast

Wilhelm-Hack-Museum Ludwigshafen/Rh.

Running 14 September 2019 - 26 January 2020

Catalogue available 

A New Room. Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart at Museum Wiesbaden
in Addition to the Exhibition
Piet Mondrian. Natur und Konstruktion

Museum Wiesbaden/Germany

Opening 25 October 2018

Running 26 October 2018 - 17 February 2019

FRIEDRICH VORDEMBERGE-GILDEWART
PART OF THE EXHIBITION
50 YEARS. 50 ARTISTS

Annely Juda Fine Art. London

Running 8 November 2018 - 26 January 2019

Catalogue London 2018 for download at
annelyjudafineart.co.uk

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart
Part of the Exhibition
1948: La Biennale di Peggy Guggenheim

Guggenheim Museum Venice

Running 25 May - 25 November 2018

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart Exhibition

MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow/Poland

Opening 28 June 2018

Running 29 June - 23 September 2018

curated by Delfina Jałowik from MOCAK
supported by the VORDEMBERGE-GILDEWART FOUNDATION/CH
Catalogue English/Polish is now available

en.mocak.pl/to-the-absolute-through-the-abstract

VG Award 2018 Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation/Switzerland
EXHIBITION

MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow/Poland

Opening 28 June 2018

Running 29 June - 23 September 2018

curated by Delfina Jałowik from MOCAK

Yearly award given to one young artist up to the age of 35 years through an international jury. Support is given by the Foundation to exhibition and catalogue showing all the young shortlisted artists and the winner of the prize.
The Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation started its work in 1981 through the last will of Ilse Engelina Vordemberge, née Leda, 1906-1981, widow of the artist Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart, called VG. The foundation is based in Rapperswil/Switzerland.

AWARD of the Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation 2018
Diana Lelonek

Two Prizes of Recognition went to Małgorzata Goliszewska and Maciej Cholewa.

Congratulations and best Wishes!

Catalogue English/Polish is now available

en.mocak.pl/award-of-the-vordemberge-gildewart-foundation-2018

Early Work of Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart

shown at
Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart – Berlin
Hello World. Revision einer Sammlung

Running 28 April - 26 August 2018