TU Dortmund University Honors Outstanding Works by Art Students

The “Art Walk” offers students the opportunity each year to present their art to a larger audience in an institutional setting. At the opening, Prof. Gerhard Schembecker, Vice President Finance at TU Dortmund University, and Dr. Niklas Gliesmann, scientific curator of Campus Stadt and staff member at the Academy of Fine Arts, jointly welcomed the numerous guests to the exhibition. On behalf of the Rectorate, Prof. Schembecker presented the art prizes, each endowed with 500 euros, in the categories of painting, graphics, sculpture, and photography, as well as the edition prize.

The Prizewinners

Dulana Tillmann was awarded the Painting Prize for her work “Grounded”, in which she explored the connection between humans and nature. For the painting, she painted a figure on fabric whose feet seem to disappear under the cut-through tarpaulin in the painted earth. The jury praised: “The work shows a gesture of turning, exploration, and wonder. It departs from anthropological arrogance and thus opens up new possibilities for painting and art in general.”

Lucy Pawlowicz received the Graphic Arts Prize. In numerous series of experiments with lines, surfaces, and forms, she has investigated the interface between mathematics and art. In its statement, the jury pointed out that her graphics, without classical perspective, presented themselves consistently and uniformly, yet varied, due to the self-imposed conditions.

The Sculpture Prize went to Daniel Friedt. His work made of fabric, metal, and ceramics plays with the tension between flexibility and permanence and asks the question of what is retained and what is let go, according to the jury. With his work, the student invites viewers to reflect on their responsibility for themselves and their environment.

The jury awarded the Photography Prize to Marie Schütte for her work “With you and without me,” in which she addresses the often unspoken topic of miscarriage. With a collage of framed family photos in which she has superimposed herself and her sister until they are unrecognizable, she deals with the aftereffects of a miscarriage for the family history. “In doing so, she asks the question of whether the subsequent children would ever have been conceived without the loss. Her personal work also encourages viewers to reflect on their own selves,” the jury said.

For her graphic work, the rectorate awarded Lea Sommer the Editions Prize. The jury praised her precise observation of the plant world, whose insights she renders in rhythmic contexts through her drawings, while continually playing with new elements and colors. This results in a loving depiction that draws viewers into its flows and evokes a sense of wonder.

“Art Walk” of TU Dortmund University

In the exhibition, the art students present their multimedia works: besides paintings, graphics, photographs, and sculptures, they also display printed art books as well as video and spatial installations. The diverse works allow visitors to explore the different themes and techniques with which the students engage in their art.

TU Dortmund University regularly offers insights into its research and teaching on its campus and engages in dialogue with interested citizens through various event formats. The “Art Walk” is one of the most visited exhibitions on the campus each year. It can be viewed until 18 August during the opening hours of the Dortmunder U. Admission is free.