Visual Art

Art exhibitions communicate amplitude and prosperity of the cultural activities of a country. It contains installations, video arts, photography, architecture and design. Beside the presentation of German art exhibitions and German artists abroad the promotion of exhibitions of foreign artists and their stay in Germany are also a part of German Foreign Cultural Politic.

The Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) devises and organises touring exhibitions of German contemporary art over several years, thereby beside the Goethe Institute museums and exhibition institutions in Germany and abroad are participated in its realisation. The range of exhibitions is diverse. The focus is on German visual art, photography, film, architecture and design from the 20th and 21st centuries.

The Goethe Institute organises group and solo exhibitions worldwide in all the branches of the visual arts like painting, sculpture, the graphic arts, architecture, photography, media art, design and fashion. In addition it arranges touring exhibitions that document cultural themes or recent historical developments. The promotion is a key feature of cultural programme work of the Federal Foreign Office.

Further information at the Goethe Institutes on site as well as the Support and Funding for the Visual Arts of the Goethe Institute.

Exhibition projects abroad of the work of artists living in Germany as well as its participation at international biennales are able to subsidise it for transport costs, travel expenses and leasing costs regarding technical equipment by the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations.

The Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) presents contemporary monographic works as well as smaller group exhibitions in its galleries in Stuttgart and Berlin. These ifa galleries are providing a vital first spring-board into the Western art world for artists from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. These are the only galleries in Germany showing contemporary art from these regions.

Information about furtherance of foreign artist’s exhibitions in Germany also available from the Missions Abroad of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Goethe Institutes abroad.

The Institute of Foreign Cultural Relations supports in line with the programme Artists' Contacts working visits in and travel to Germany for contemporary artists from developing countries and countries in transition. German artists are also to be offered travel subsidies enabling them to make contacts in developing countries and countries in transition. The financial support for these working visits is intended to promote cooperation between foreign and German artists within an international project framework.

In order to foster common cultural projects such as film festivals, theater productions, and exhibitions featuring artists between German and French institutions the Robert Bosch Foundation initiates the funding programme DUO. During one year, two cultural institutions work together in tandem, and have the opportunity to send an employee to the partner institution during two to four weeks. The exchange is funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation. The participants should benefit from the stay by getting to know the partner institution’s conceptual policy, their program planning, and work approach, and by identifying synergistic effects.

The European Union supports in line with the Programme Culture 2007-2013 perennial cooperation projects between cultural institutions from different countries. It offers assistance possibilities for all cultural sectors and for all kinds of cultural actors.

Further information in the Programme Guide.

International scientists who research about modern and contemporary art, are able to apply for a one year fellowship.

The Federal Cultural Foundation has made cultural relations between Germany and African countries the theme of the new international programme TURN - Fund for German-African Cooperation. The programme started with a two-year fund to promote artistic exchange and cooperation between artists and institutions from Germany and African countries. The main objective of the programme is to provide incentives to German institutions and artists (museums, theatres, dance companies, art association, composers, writers, publishers, etc.) to broaden their profiles with new themes, working methods and perspectives.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) promotes with following programmes for visual artists free artistic development. For a certain period of time their life and work at appointed places is supported.

The Berlin Artists-in-Residence Programme is one of the most renowned international programmes offering grants in the fields of visual art, literature, music and film. Each year, some 20 grants are awarded to international artists for approximately a one-year stay in Berlin.

The Künstlerhäuser Worpswede see themselves as a place of international encounter. They aim to promote professional artists in the fields of the fine and visual arts, literature and music by awarding residential grants. They also support the projects of the funded artists and present these to the public.

The Foundation Künstlerdorf Schöppingen awards grants to authors and artists as well as in the field New Media and composition. During the time of six month the awardee lives and works in the artists’ village.

The Künstlerhaus Schloss Balmoral promotes national and international artists in the disciplines of painting, sculpture, installation, drawing, graphic arts, design, photography, video as well as new media and landscape art/design. It awards six residence scholarships, one project scholarship and one curator scholarship.

The Künstlerhaus Lukas sees itself as a place for artistic work and for international meeting and encounter for professional artists from the disciplines fine arts, literature, dance and music. The international context focuses on the Baltic littoral states.

For particularly well-qualified German students, post-graduate and post-doctoral scholarships in special-field of visual art the DAAD offers a number of scholarships and grants.

The Federal Government Representative for Culture and Media provides artists of the fields of literature, music, visual arts, performing arts and media arts, a 10-week stay at the Castle Genshagen near Berlin. The participants come from Germany, Poland and France and develop a common result of her artistic work.

The Akademie Schloss Solitude promotes with its scholarship programmes mainly younger, particularly gifted international artists from the disciplines architecture, visual art, performing art, design, literature, music/sound, video/film/new media.

Application forms and further information at www.akademie-solitude.de

The Artist's House Edenkoben is a place of meeting for writers, authors, translators, visual artists, musicians and for literature and art interested a audience. The Edenkoben scholarship offers to authors and visual artists the possibility to live and to work several months in the artist's house.

The Federal Government Representative for Culture and Media offers artists living in Germany the possibility to develop themselves further via longer study visits abroad:

The scholarship of the German Academy Rome is addressed to young artists in the field visual art, architecture, literature and music composition. They should be in the age of 40 and already exhibit their first public succeeds. Domiciles are the Villa Massimo, Casa Baldi and Villa Serpentara.

The German Study Centre in Venice awards two month-long scholarships for artists in the discipline architecture, visual art, literature and music composition.

The Villa Romana Fellowship offers talented, younger artists resident in Germany the chance to further develop their art during a prolonged stay in Florence. Additional to an atelier and a furnished apartment they get a monthly stipend throughout the stay in Florence.

The Cité Internationale des Arts is intended to provide short or long stays for professional artists who want to develop an artistic work in France. Beside the experience exchange with other artist the residence offers an exhibition area as well as an auditorium for the artistic presentation of the works.

The Arts Fund Foundation supports young artists and the realisation of innovative projects. Artists do not need a project to be eligible for a working grant, they can apply for funding to cover the material and travel expenses for a concrete artistic project.

The Rave Scholarships contribute to further practical training in arranging and realising exhibitions and projects in the field of visual art. These scholarships are being awarded to young curators, restorers, museum technicians and cultural managers from countries in transition and developing countries. The Goethe Institute has been offering curators who live and work in Germany and wish to pursue a specific research project in the field of international contemporary art the opportunity to apply for a grant towards a research trip abroad.

This Residence Programme of EUNIC supports activity between European and Russian art curators and institutions. About one month participants sit in on a museum or art gallery in the UK, Germany, Austria, Romania, Sweden or France. The programme is for Russian curators of contemporary visual art.

Further promotion possibilities are in the feature study for students and academic for graduates and scientists.

The libraries of the Universities Heidelberg and Dresden offers at their internet page Art-Guide a collection of art history internet resources about European art history from late antiquity to contemporary art as well as science of art.

The Visual Arts Guide for Germany of the Goethe Institute facilitates research across the spectrum of visual art. By choosing the appropriate section it can be searched for such things as museums, educational opportunities, festivals, online services.

The Photography Guide for Germany of the Goethe Institute allows to search in different sections - for example, museums, education, or journals - and includes onward links to relevant online services.

The Media Art Guide for Germany of the Goethe Institute allows to search in different sections - for example, Museums, Education, or Journals - and includes onward links to relevant online services.

The Artists' Database of the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations is a database with information of German artists and architects.

The Artists' Film Database of the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations is a database with information about film, TV and videos concerning the categories visual art, architecture, design, photography and other closed disciplines.

The German Information Centre Culture Support collects in an online catalogue information about private and public sponsors of arts and culture in Germany which are accessible via a database.

arthistoricum.net is a virtual special library for art. It affords for the first time a comprehensive research for art history: art of the Middle Age and newly art history of Europe, USA, Kanada and Australia starting at the Early Christian age untill 1945. Than further the whole history of art from 1945 in Europe and Northern America.

In the worldwide net of the Goethe Institutes there are events organised not only important for Germany but also take place in Germany. An overview provides the calender of events of the Goethe Institute.

The House of World Cultures is a place for international contemporary arts and a forum for current developments and discourse. Visual arts, music, literature, performing arts, film, academic discussions and digital media are all linked in an interdisciplinary programme that is unique in Europe. In cooperation with artists and experts, it offers visitors opportunities to grapple with the conflicts, challenges and questions of our time.

The Kulturportal Deutschland informs about German and European cultural projects and offers a database with the topical events can be called up.

The Goethe Institute arranges the answers of the important questions at its internet page.

International Society of Visual Arts

E-mail: art@igbk.de

Internet: www.igbk.de

International Association of Art Critisism

E-mail: info@aica.de

Internet: http://aica.de

Artlink - Office for Culture Cooperation

E-mail: info@artlink.ch

Internet: www.artlink.ch

Nafas - Art Magazine

E-mail: info@universes-in-universe.org

Internet: http://universes-in-universe.org/eng/nafas

International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA)

E-mail: info@ifacca.org

Internet: www.ifacca.org