Dieter Appelt: Winner of the Gerhard Altenbourg Prize 2025!

Dieter Appelt: Winner of the Gerhard Altenbourg Prize 2025!

On August 3, 2025, the special exhibition “Dieter Appelt – Gerhard Altenbourg Prize 2025” will open in the Lindenau Museum Altenburg. This exhibition is hosted by Dr. Benjamin Rux curates and is part of the tribute to the renowned German artist Dieter Appelt, known for his significant contributions to photography and the fine arts. The Gerhard Altenbourg Prize, which is considered one of the most important art prizes in Central Germany, was awarded to Appelt in November 2024 and is endowed with a total of 50,000 euros, including 10,000 euros in prize money and 40,000 euros for the implementation of the exhibition and the catalog.

Dieter Appelt grew up in Niemegk (Brandenburg) in 1935 and is considered one of the most important German photographers and performance artists. His artistic work deals intensively with topics such as his own body, nature, memory, life and death. From the 1980s onwards his works took on an increasingly abstract character. His “scores” are particularly noteworthy, as they show a love of detail that is reminiscent of Gerhard Altenbourg’s way of working. The board of trustees of the Lindenau Museum describes Appelt as “a timeless voice in European art.”

The exhibition and the artistic work

A highlight of the exhibition will be the presentation of selected works in the Prinzenpalais of the Altenburg Residential Palace, which illustrate the diversity of Appelt's oeuvre. His invitation to the exhibition and the subsequent award ceremony are an expression of his extensive artistic work. Overall, Appelt took part in numerous national and international exhibitions, including two presentations at the Venice Biennale.

Before his career as an artist, Appelt studied singing in Berlin and Leipzig from 1954 to 1958 before completing his diploma in 1961. He then devoted himself to photography and experimental photography at the Berlin University of the Arts under the tutelage of Heinz Hajek-Halk. From the end of the 1970s he shifted his focus to the visual arts after working for many years as a singer at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Prize winners and cultural commitment

The award ceremony took place on November 16, 2024 in the Board of Trustees of the Lindenau Museum. The Gerhard Altenbourg Prize not only honors Appelt's artistic work, but also highlights his commitment to the art scene in Central Germany. The awarded amount and the planned exhibition formats underline the importance that the prize has for promoting contemporary art.

Visit the special exhibition in the Lindenau Museum and discover Dieter Appelt's fascinating works, which not only illuminate the themes of human existence, but also impressively represent the connection between art and life. Further information can be found at altenburgerland.de and lindenau-museum.de.