EMERGING ARTISTS 6
contemporary art from Dortmund
24 October 2026 – 07 February 2027
a cooperation with uzwei at Dortmunder U
Emerging Artists Dortmund is an experimental platform for emerging talents, enabling cultural practitioners from all disciplines to explore their work in various fields. At its core is the connection between theory and practice: each edition is conceived and designed by a newly formed team of students and graduates from Dortmund's universities – from visual identity and scenography to photographic documentation and the educational program.
The group exhibition featuring eight artists selected by a jury of experts is complemented by a diverse and free program of events. Guided tours, art forums, lectures, and workshops address current issues and challenges in artistic and creative fields
Artists
Masha Bisalieva, Jürgen Dechert, Bokeum Lee, David Nils Müller,
Natalie Plaskura, Max Spielvogel,
Katharina Ziesen, Hannah Zühlke
Graphic Design
Luis F. Düllberg, Johanna Gerdiken, Julia Hillebrand and Marie Jahnke
Scenography
Annika Hesters and Max Gladisch
Photography
Katharina Kemme
Emerging Artists Dortmund is a collaboration between the Dortmunder Kunstverein and uzwei at the Dortmund U.
Further information:
Masha Bisalieva (born 1999) combines emotional reflection with atmospheric visual spaces in her artistic practice. Inspired by interpersonal encounters, she illustrates situations that are personal yet simultaneously address social issues, connecting them and inviting dialogue.
Jürgen Dechert (born 1994) explores the parasitic clinging of materials, bodies, and objects, as well as the occupation and appropriation of spaces, in his work. He regularly engages with public urban spaces through his installation and performance interventions.
Bokeum Lee (born 1996) combines textile techniques with photography. Fragile works emerge from memories and fragments, making the ephemeral tangible and temporality physically perceptible through stretching and layering: a continuous dialogue between light, fiber, and transformation.
David Nils Müller (born 2002) is a photographer and visual artist. In his photographic and installation works, he explores social and media-related issues. He is particularly interested in the power of images, cultural identity, and consumption.
The films of Natalie Plaskura (born 1984) exist at the intersection of opulent staging, dreamlike narration, and surreal visual composition. She creates her own aesthetic worlds that tell wondrous, grotesque stories of transformation and hidden secrets, generating an atmosphere that is impossible to escape.
The paintings of Max Spielvogel (born 2001) depict surreal, fragmented beings within confined pictorial spaces. Hybrid creatures emerge from the interplay of construction, chance, and imagination, inspired by mythology, paleontology, and the tension between reality and fantasy.
Using whoopee cushions, bumper cars, and monster trucks, Katharina Ziesen (born 1997) playfully explores themes such as identity and social structures in terms of dependencies and situations of self-assertion, opening up new spaces for action. The materiality of ceramics makes the fragility and sensitivity of these themes visible and tangible.
With bodies and heads as central subjects, Hannah Zühlke (born 1999) balances questions of reality and fiction, examining forms of performative presence in image and space in her painting practice.
Graphic Design
EA6's core design concept is based on the principle of layers. Layers represent the juxtaposition and interplay of different positions: Each artwork exists independently while simultaneously becoming part of a larger context. Within the exhibition, this always involves both taking up and giving space—an interplay of individuality and community.
The visual identity was developed by Luis F. Düllberg, Johanna Gerdiken, Julia Hillebrand, and Marie Jahnke in the seminar "Visual Identity for Art & Culture: Emerging Artists VI" at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts, led by Jonas Herfurth (Ten Ten Team Design Studio). Twelve students, working in five teams or individually, developed independent designs for the exhibition. The winning design now shapes the festival's public image—from posters and programs to digital communication.
Scenography
The scenography is based on a modular system that can flexibly adapt to various requirements. The design translates the narrative of the levels into a spatial staging that, through its monochrome color scheme, clearly distinguishes itself from the surrounding space while remaining understated enough to keep the focus on the artworks.
Annika Hester (born 2000) studied object and spatial design at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Since graduating, she has worked as a freelance designer, moving between the gaming industry, film, and cultural projects. Max Gladisch (born 1988) studied communication design and exhibition design at Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences and works as a freelance designer and artist in Dortmund. His focus is on spatial design, visual identities, and typography. The scenography for Emerging Artist 6 is their first collaborative project.
Photography
Katharina Kemme (born 1991) is a documentary and portrait photographer. Her freelance work is characterized by sociological interest and explores questions of identity and self-presentation.
Art Summit
Frappanz e.V. In cooperation with the Institute for Art and Material Culture, Sculpture Department and Painting Department, Digital & Expanded Painting at TU Dortmund / Concept: Sarah Hübscher
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