The German National Foundation was established in 1993, shortly after the German reunification. The purpose of the foundation is to promote German culture within the EU through art, science, literature, politics and law. Since 1997, the Foundation has awarded the National Prize (Deutscher Nationalpreis) to people or institutions that contribute to European integration.
Anselm Kiefer, one of the most important contemporary artists, has been awarded the German National Prize. The 78-year-old painter and sculptor received the award, endowed with 30,000 euros, from the German National Foundation in Berlin. According to his own statements, Kiefer intends to pass on the prize money to the recipients of this year's sponsorship award, the youth orchestra projects Hangarmusik and Demos from Berlin and Paris.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in his speech that Kiefer has "earned more than almost any other artist in dealing with German history". The artist is an important ambassador for Germany's history-conscious and modern image, particularly in France. Kiefer's art is about "revealing what has been buried in our German and European history."
The art historian and author Florian Illies said that Kiefer's birth year of 1945 represents both the end and the beginning. In each of his works, he shows Germans that looking forward can only be done by venturing into "the darkness of the past and being able to endure it."
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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