Heitland Foundation

The Heitland Foundation (Heitland Foundation) is a private art foundation based in Celle, Germany, established in 1980 by the German entrepreneur Volker Heitland. It is dedicated to the promotion of the visual arts, primarily through the awarding of an art prize and through direct support of artists in their education or on a project basis. Between 1980 and 2013, the foundation awarded an art prize annually or biennially, with a value of 25,000 euros (or 25,000 Deutsche Mark in the earlier years). The prize recognized both established and emerging artists, with a notable list of recipients including Roberto Matta (1981), Shirin Neshat (2003), Jaume Plensa (2007), and Christian Jankowski (2013). Since 2015, the foundation has operated a platform called Heitland Honneur, which grants awards several times a year to promising international positions in contemporary art. The Honneur recipients have included artists such as Martin Brodwolf, Rainer P. Hahn, and Simon Hehemann (2015), and more recently Annika Kahrs and Gerrit Frohne-Brinkmann (2020). The foundation is governed by a board of trustees (Kuratorium) with five members, an executive board (Vorstand) with three members, and a changing protektorium. Its activities are documented in several publications, including '10 Jahre Heitland Foundation' (1990), '20 Jahre Heitland Foundation' (2000), and '30 Jahre Heitland Foundation' (2011). The foundation maintains an official website at heitland-foundation.com, which highlights current activities such as the Heitland Honneur 2026.

The Heitland Foundation was founded in 1980 by the German entrepreneur Volker Heitland as a private art foundation headquartered in Celle, Germany. Its primary mission was to support the visual arts, and from its inception it awarded an art prize on an annual or biennial basis. The prize was endowed with 25,000 Deutsche Mark (later 25,000 euros) and was given to both established and emerging artists. The first recipient, in 1980, was Leonard Lehrer, followed by internationally renowned figures such as Roberto Matta (1981), Allen Jones (1995), Eduardo Arroyo (2001), Shirin Neshat (2003), Jaume Plensa (2007), and Christian Jankowski (2013). In some years, the prize was shared by multiple artists, as in 1987 (Hetty Krist and Rolf Böttcher) and 2011 (Angela Ender, Johanna Jäger, Florian Lechner, and Ginan Seidl). The foundation also supported artists in their education or on a project basis. After 2013, the foundation paused its main art prize and in 2015 launched a new platform called Heitland Honneur. This platform awards prizes several times a year to promising international positions in contemporary art. The first Honneur recipients in 2015 were Martin Brodwolf, Rainer P. Hahn, and Simon Hehemann. Subsequent years saw awards to artists such as Dieter Glasmacher, Faezeh Nikoozad, Stephan Rosche, Hubert Schmelzer, Hermann Grüneberg, and Viola Yesiltaç (2016); Gert Wiedmaier and Simon Blume (2017); Nils Völker, Herbert Nouwens, and Jörg Bach (2018); and Annika Kahrs and Gerrit Frohne-Brinkmann (2020). The foundation's activities have been documented in several publications: '10 Jahre Heitland Foundation' (Celle, 1990), '20 Jahre Heitland Foundation: Zwanzig Kunstpreisträger einer privaten Stiftung' (Darmstadt, 2000), and '30 Jahre Heitland Foundation' (Celle, 2011). The organization is structured with a five-member Kuratorium (board of trustees), a three-member Vorstand (executive board), and a Protektorium (patronage committee) whose composition changes. The foundation continues to operate, with its website highlighting the Heitland Honneur 2026.

• 2026

  Heitland Honneur 2026 announced on official website.

• 2020

  Heitland Honneur awarded to Annika Kahrs and Gerrit Frohne-Brinkmann.

• 2015

  Launch of Heitland Honneur platform; first awards to Martin Brodwolf, Rainer P. Hahn, and Simon Hehemann.

• 2013

  Last edition of the original art prize awarded to Christian Jankowski.

• 2011

  Publication '30 Jahre Heitland Foundation' released.

• 2000

  Publication '20 Jahre Heitland Foundation: Zwanzig Kunstpreisträger einer privaten Stiftung' released.

• 1990

  Publication '10 Jahre Heitland Foundation' released.

• 1981

  Art prize awarded to Roberto Matta.

• 1980

  Foundation established by Volker Heitland in Celle, Germany; first art prize awarded to Leonard Lehrer.

A private, non-commercial art foundation supporting contemporary visual artists through awards and grants.

Product categories. Art prizes · Artist grants · Exhibitions and publications

1. 1Heitland Foundation - heitland-foundations Webseite!heitland-foundation.com
2. 2Impressum - heitland-foundations Webseite!heitland-foundation.com
3. 3Heitland Foundationwikidata.org
4. 4Heitland Foundationde.wikipedia.org