HfK University Awards presented

This year's university awards for students and graduates of the University of the Arts (HfK) Bremen were presented today, February 13, 2026, during an internal university ceremony. In each of the fields of fine arts, integrated design, and digital media, expert juries awarded prizes and commendations for outstanding artistic, musical, and design works. 

The winners will show their work tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, February 14 and 15, 2026, at the University Days. Visitors can expect a program featuring more than 100 artistic works, which can be experienced in exhibitions, concerts, performances, installations, films, and lectures. In addition, open studios, workshops, and studios invite visitors to explore the students' working environments and seek exchange with aspiring artists, designers, and musicians. Those who are also interested in study programs and application and admission procedures can seek advice from teachers, students, and staff.

University Awards 2026: 
Overview of all categories and winners

Fine Arts

1st place

Class Natascha Sadr Haghighian (Bubu Mosiashvili, Mustafa Al Zubaidi, Egbhal Joudi, Ruomeng Huang, Marina Marcomini, Kevi Teli, Stefan Pente, Tabea Felicitas Amrei Erhart, Djamila Köckritz, Nasrin Larijani, Moira Meine Fuentes, Any Jackson Chaturanga, Lisl Lindeque, Pelle Schemmel, and Dorsa Eidizadeh) for the presentation of their work, installation, location during the University Days: Speicher XI, Room 1.15.090.

Jury statement: "The presentation of the works by Natascha Sadr Haghighian's class impressed the jury with the high quality of the individual artistic positions. In a sensitive arrangement of the works in relation to each other, which revealed parallels between the works, as in the presentation by Mustafa Al Zubaidi, Egbhal Jourdi, and Ruomeng Huang, connections between Tabea Erhart's floor work and an arrangement that directs the gaze to the balustrade, as well as the use of the architecture of the space in Bubu Mosiashvili's work, When the Civilized Tongue Falters (storage is a storage is a storage is a storage)', testify to a curatorial gesture that responds to the specific characteristics of the works. Using very different methods, the positions address forms of resistance against autocracies, economic power relations, inclusions and exclusions, as well as the presence and absence of narratives. Within a few square meters, the artists reflect on historical events such as the revolution in Iran or labor migration in Albania, embedding history in speculative practices and working with overwritings, painterly transfers, and acoustic resonance spaces.

2nd place

Siquan Lai for his works “{.1,1,2,3,5...},” “Kirke/Circe,” and “Kkkkkkkkkkkkkaterrrrrrrrrrrrr” in the exhibition of Vincent Haynes' class, sculptural painting, location during the university days: Speicher XI, rooms 3.16.030 and 3.16.090.

Jury statement: "Siquan Lai's works can be described as sculptural paintings in which the painted surfaces protrude into the space like reliefs. The staging is characterized by precise arrangements that invite attentive viewing through subtle placements and references. Siquan Lai's presentation impressed the jury primarily with its subtle placement in the space: a setting that demonstrates an eye for detail and precise positioning of the small sculptures in the corners of the room, which would go almost unnoticed were it not for the clear lines of sight between the object-like sculptures on the wall and those on the floor, creating a clear tension.
Amorphous ceramic plates are sewn together with threads, a process that seems contradictory at first glance, but which hints at the precise craftsmanship involved in working with clay and textiles. The layering of techniques and materials—paper, glue, yarn, found objects, and glitter—with fractured moments between ceramics, drawing, painting, and handicrafts testifies to an experimental approach that is also reflected in the spatial positioning of the works."

3rd place

Yoonyeong Lee for “Dinner” in the exhibition by Asli Serbest's class temporary spaces, video installation, location during the university days: Speicher XI, large theory room.

Jury statement: "Yoonyeong Lee's video installation ‘Dinner’ is about chance encounters between people from different cultural backgrounds who meet to cook and eat together. The simple gesture of preparing a meal from the ingredients they have brought with them quickly gives rise to reflections on fundamental human interactions, namely the need for food and social exchange. An additional framework provides a reference to digital space and broadens the focus to include meeting places that ultimately also arise in the exhibition space. The work is impressive in its technical installation of collage-like overlapping projections and in the space for thought it opens up. The jury was particularly impressed by the approach of a collective practice that describes cooking as action, solidarity, and artistic interaction."

Jury

Övül Ö. Durmusoglu (curator and professor of art in discourse at HBK Braunschweig), Matilda Felix (director of Haus Coburg, Delmenhorst), Eva Fischer-Hausdorf (curator of modern and contemporary art at Kunsthalle Bremen), Lina Louisa Krämer (program director, Schinkel Pavillon Berlin), and Marie Oucherif (artistic director, Künstler:innenhaus Bremen).

Integrated Design

1st place

Yannic Götz and Pia Maier for “ZWEI2 / Mensch; Material — interdisciplinary sub-studies,” installation/mixed media/fashion/photography/graphics, location during the university open house: Speicher XI, room 3.12.060

Jury statement: “The work develops an independent creative world and explores its theme in an interdisciplinary manner from different perspectives. The individual media are precisely crafted and each make a substantial contribution to the overall work. The work is confident in its design, cohesive, and well-founded in terms of content. It is supported by an intensive, reflective design process that convincingly justifies its formal and content-related quality.”

2nd place

Jannes Schmidt for “Don't Kill My Home,” film/video, location during the university days: Speicher XI A, Hall 1.

Jury statement: “Don't Kill My Home” impresses with its independent, unexpected narration and clearly structured dramaturgy. The work masters the challenging balancing act between emotional arc, depth of content, and precise visual language. Particularly noteworthy is the high level of detail: storytelling, visual language, and typography are rigorously developed and consistently brought to the point.

3rd place

Yang Liu for “Tools of us,” website, location during the university days: Speicher XI A, Hall 1.

Jury statement: “The ‘Tools of us’ project impresses with its great depth of content and concept, as well as a clearly developed, consistent visual language. Typography, imagery, and interface interlock precisely to form a coherent, independent overall picture. The design is pointed, self-assured, and stringently implemented, and is of the highest professional standard both formally and technically.”

Honorable mentions

Leon Butt for “Waste becomes a resource – upcycling, design, material research with wind turbines, in the circular design process,” product design/architecture, location during the university days: Speicher XI A, Hall 1.

Jury statement: “The project ‘Waste becomes a resource’ addresses a highly relevant, contemporary topic and impresses with a strategically sound, excellently developed solution. It is innovative and forward-looking, yet realistic and at an advanced stage of development. Particularly noteworthy is the consistent focus on implementation, which makes the concept structurally viable and clearly business-ready.”

Jury

Felipe Aasan Escobar (HfK alumnus, currently Senior Concept Designer, Hugo Boss AG, Stuttgart), Sarah Fricke (AfK alumna, currently freelance graphic designer, Distaff Studio, Berlin), and Andreas Heisinger (HfK alumnus, currently Managing Director of “hey ju design,” Bremen).

Digital Media

1st place

Seongjoo Moon for “The Bremen Town Musicians (Self-Portrait),” installation, location during the university open house: Speicher XI, room 2.11.100.

Jury statement: “Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten (Self-Portrait) is a kinetic sound sculpture re-purposing discarded, malfunctioning electronic household appliances and materials. The relationships between the devices are shown in an harmonic interplay of sound, movement, light and shadows, echoing the collaborative dynamics of a jazz ensemble. The artist uses the tale of the Bremer Stadtmusikanten as a metaphor for a refusal of assigned social roles, the search for new identity and the liberation from the pursuit of productivity. Overall, the strong sculptural composition, the striking first impression and the humorous presentation impressed the jury. The project situates the personal struggles of the artist within Bremen’s material and cultural cues into a compelling critique of extreme work culture and societal expectations."

2nd place

Hyewon Park for “Und dann gabs keines mehr” (And Then There Were None), installation, location during the university open house: Speicher XI, Room 1.07.060 (Classroom 1).

Jury statement: “Und dann gabs keines mehr is an interplay between wind, sound objects, and pieces of charcoal that addresses the consequences of a devastating forest fire that destroyed cultural heritage, nature, and life in South Korea. Triggered by a wind sensor, moving pieces of charcoal inside cause the metal tubes to ring. Charcoal dust, created by the friction, trickles onto the paper spread out on the floor, drawing a shadowy image of the destruction caused by the fire. The tension between complexity and reduction in sound, visuals, and material convinced the jury. In a quiet, subtle, yet alarming way, the work addresses the possible consequences of climate change. The bright, almost cool installation contrasts with the devastating fire. It allows the power of nature to gradually transform into a warning signal that sounds both threatening and melodic—a cautionary wind chime."

3rd place

Andrea Wapler for “another <br> fast,” performance/installation, location during the university days: Speicher XI, room 1.06.000 (Gallery L).

Jury statement: “another <br> fast is a filmed performance and installation that stages a cast of manipulated machines and electric devices on a breakfast table. By using a multi-socket power strip as a keyboard-like main controller of the performance, the artist questions the autonomy of these machines without human intervention. The Jury appreciates the humorous aesthetics of the scene, the still-life-like arrangement and staging of the video, as well as the mirroring of the stage in the exhibition space. Using the reluctance of performing as the starting point, the work successfully transforms a feeling of awkwardness into an engaging performance."

Honorable mentions

Uladzislau Karotki for “Niemarač/Немарач,” video, location during the university days: Speicher XI, room 1.07.060 (classroom 1).

Jury statement: "Niemarač/Немарач shows a recorded performance by the artist, citing belarussian folk songs, as well as found photographies taken by German soldiers during World War 1 and an on-site performance/installation. The jury appreciates the multilayered production on family history in Belarusian tradition, reflecting not just on the view from within but also the tension with colonial outside perspectives and exoticization. The work will be continued in further performance work during HST."

Hiu Yan Lee for “C5(F4)”, installation, location during the university open days: Speicher XI, room 0.11.020

Jury statement: "C5(F4) is an engaging immersive sound and light installation about the discomfort of learning a music instrument—the horn. It utilizes multi channel sound, vibration and audio-reactive lights to translate a personal experience. The work sonifies failure and bodily pain into a strong narrative that takes the audience into a theater-like experience. The jury appreciates the high level of composition and sound production and the detailed audio editing in the piece as well as the interplay between the sound and the light bulbs."

Shu Cheng Tsao for “I don't want to forget a paper,” installation, location during the university days: Speicher XI, 4.15.070.

Jury statement: “I don’t want to forget a paper is a minimalist installation of a white paper embossed with the binary image data of a photo of the paper itself, encoded in base64. Through a sensitive aesthetic, a reduced minimalist presentation and strong use of light, the work questions the persistence of digital data that we assume to be permanent by storing it onto paper – a fragile medium. Whilst at first the work appears to be just a white, slightly rough sheet of paper hung on a wall from far away, getting close rewards the audience with an impressive level of detail, that also repeats in the technical elaboration."

Jury

Yannic Heintzen (PhD candidate in Communication Design, HAW Hamburg) and HfK alumni Qianxun Chen, Nathalie Gebert, Timo Jan Johannes, Kazuki Ozone, and Julia Vollmer.

Nominations for the Frese Design Prize

For the first time, the final projects from the Integrated Design program will be presented to the public in a large exhibition during the University Days—under the title “Final Final” in Hall 1 of Speicher XI A. Sixteen of the exhibiting students have been nominated for the Frese Design Prize and will show their work again at the Wilhelm Wagenfeld House (April 24 to May 31, 2026).

The nominees are: Frederik Adelmann, Maja Bäumker, Luci Lee Biehler, Paula Britt, Leon Butt, Leontien Kay, Sarah Paulina Keilbach, Yang Liu, Hannah Malina Lowitz, Isabel Moraes Duzat, Claudia Sofia Pesantes Cardoso, Lena Porath, Kjell Reimers, Dana Salih, Jannes Schmidt, and Söhnke Vetter.

Jury

Viktoria Dietz (graphic designer, co-founder of the studio “Grommaz Dietz,” Bremen), Andrej Gronau (fashion designer, founder of his own fashion label, London), and Ben Jurca (graphic designer/communication designer, co-founder of the studio “Bas&Aer,” Bremen).