Four HfG graduates awarded scholarships by the Art Foundation

aspect-ratio 10x9 — © Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg

Oliver-Selim Boualam, Sophia Schiller, Heidi Herzig and Zhou Pei are four of seven new scholarship holders in the visual arts section of the Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg. From 89 applications, an independent jury of experts has selected 7 scholarship holders for 2022. The total amount of the 2022 art scholarships is 84,000 euros.

"The nominated artists move in their artistic practice - with the strategies they develop - at the interfaces within their own genre. They play with questioning and breaking predetermined spaces and receptions, and in doing so develop stages that not only allow for an address, but also make humorous differentiations visible on the basis of material and context. These attitudes convinced us as a jury." (Susanne Weiß). The jury consisted of Stephan Jung (artist, Berlin), Kathleen Rahn (director, Marta Herford) and Susanne Weiß (curator, Berlin).

Support is given to outstanding artists who have spent their first residence, the main focus of their work or a significant part of their biography in Baden-Württemberg, which is decisive for their artistic work. In addition to financial support, the Art Foundation organises exhibitions and events for its scholarship holders.

Oliver-Selim Boualam (*1991 in Stühlingen) creates sculptures and installations in his artistic practice that include a participatory aspect and turn typical everyday routines on their head. The sculptor lives and works in Karlsruhe and Marrakesh.

Sophia Schiller (*1992 in Rottweil) lives and works in Karlsruhe. Her artistic work has so far concentrated on cinematic forms. She is concerned with the question of how reality is fictionalised in documentary film. She is interested in exploring the anatomy of relationships and illuminating human shadow sides.

Heidi Herzig (*1983 in Dresden) is currently working on a three-part performance in which she acts as the pop singer Heidi Herzig. She questions the pop song in relation to its psycho-social and political aspects and integrates experiences from her own work biography. The media artist lives and works in Karlsruhe.

Zhou Pei (*1987 in Beijing) is part of the artist duo STRWÜÜ, which creates poetic sound installations with technical elements such as synthesizers, cables, wires and loudspeakers - for example, in an oversized water lily in a pool of water. Zhou Pei lives and works in Karlsruhe.