HfK University Prizes Awarded

The 2025 University Prizes for students and graduates of the University of the Arts (HfK) Bremen were awarded today, February 14th, 2025, during an internal ceremony. Expert juries across the disciplines of Fine Art, Integrated Design, and Digital Media selected this year’s winners, recognising outstanding artistic, sonic, and design achievements.

The award-winning projects will be on display during the Hochschultage on February 15th and 16th, 2025, alongside exhibitions, concerts, performances, film screenings, workshops, lectures, and interactive formats. Open studios, workshops, and creative spaces will also offer visitors a unique insight into the study environment at HfK.

University Prizes 2025: Winners and Categories

Fine Art

1st Prize

Harumi Miyato – "Tübingen" (2024), "Meer" (2023), " Rijnsburger Windmühle“ (Engl. Rijnsburg‘s Windmill) (2024), "Höhle in der Sächsischen Schweiz“ (Engl. Cave in Saxon Switzerland (2024), "Vase mit Blumenmotiv“ (Eng. Vase with Floral Motif) (2024)
Photo transfer and acrylic on canvas, exhibition location during Hochschultage: Speicher XI, Room 3.16.090

Jury statement:
"The jury unanimously awarded first prize to Japanese artist Harumi Miyato for her distinctive painting style. Miyato transforms seemingly banal and kitsch digital photos from commercial brochures into works of exquisite painterly subtlety. A vase from an H&M photoshoot, a cheaply photographed windmill landscape, or a poorly edited cityscape of Tübingen are elevated through her artistic process into mesmerising still lifes, evocative 17th-century landscapes, or modern urban vedutas. Unlike Gerhard Richter’s approach to reinterpreting found photography, Miyato integrates elements of the original photos into her paintings, allowing the boundaries between photography and painting, illusion and reality, to dissolve. Her work beautifully reimagines the world.”

2nd Prize

Ziti Xu – "In Her Shoes" (2024/25), mixed media, exhibition location during Hochschultage: Speicher XI A

Jury statement:
"The jury was deeply moved by this piece, which sheds light on the suffering of an older generation of Chinese women. For centuries, the practice of foot-binding—introduced as an aesthetic ideal in the 10th century—caused severe physical deformities, rendering women unable to walk properly. Though officially banned in 1949 under Mao Zedong, the practice continued to affect many women born before this time. Through meticulous research on social media, Xu has gathered powerful testimonies from affected women. Her installation, incorporating real foot bindings and sculpted deformed feet, seamlessly weaves together historical documentation, text, fabric, and sculpture to create an evocative artistic statement.”

3rd Prize

Pyunghwa Lee – "Robo Fish" (2024), mixed media, exhibition location during Hochschultage: Speicher XI, Room 1.12.040

Jury statement:
"This seemingly playful and humorous piece presents a deeper exploration of an issue that extends beyond the realm of science fiction: what happens when artificial intelligence and synthetic life begin to think, feel, and dream? The protagonist of the work, a small robotic fish, is trapped inside a packaged smartphone, unable to access the shimmering underwater world around it. The work raises fundamental questions about identity, belonging, and the evolving relationship between living beings and artificial life.”

Jury:

Dr. Annett Reckert (Curator, Kunsthalle Bremen), Ingo Clauß (Curator, Weserburg Museum of Modern Art), Ingmar Lähnemann (Director, Städtische Galerie), Annette Hans (Director, Gesellschaft für Aktuelle Kunst Bremen)

Integrated Design

1st Prize

Malte Servaty – "Stop Messing Around" (2025), mobile workshop unit, exhibition location during Hochschultage: Speicher XI A, Hall 3

Jury statement:
"Servaty’s project is more than just an anti-war machine—it functions as a mobile learning space, discussion platform, recycling hub, protest action, workshop module, and collective meeting point. Both conceptually and in terms of execution, this innovative project invites public participation in shaping society. The jury was particularly impressed by its originality, critical yet playful approach, and the overall quality of its design and presentation.”

2nd Prize

Frederik Adelmann, Maja Bäumker, and Lena Porath – "Something’s Happening in Abisko – a visual archive of Arctic Science" (2025), publication, exhibition location: Speicher XI 8, Room 3.11.070

Jury statement:
"This book design effectively bridges the gap between science and design. Through diagrams, maps, and illustrations, the team has created a compelling visual archive of the Abisko Research Station in northern Sweden, which conducts ecological, geological, and meteorological studies in the subarctic environment. Their on-site research and subsequent publication demonstrate a bold and innovative approach to interdisciplinary design.”

3rd Prize

Saeyeon Kim – "153" (2025), drawings, exhibition location during Hochschultage: Speicher XI 8, Galerie Flut

Jury statement:
"‘What were you doing while others were growing taller? – You know what? I also grew taller while others were growing, just a bit slower…’ With 153 drawings and an engaging spatial installation, Saeyeon Kim playfully critiques societal norms around measurement and standardisation. The jury was impressed by the work’s balance of humour and critical insight, as well as its thoughtful execution. With a light-hearted touch, it challenges conventions and highlights the unexpected advantages of being 1.53 metres tall.”

Honourable Mentions:

• "On Sports. No Sports. Fashion Show" – by the Leading Project Team (Jonathan Brunken, Robert Coellen, Yannic Götz, Lena Huckelt, Pia Theresa Maier, Lena Porath, and others) – Speicher XI 8, 4.13 Corridor
• "BELLA CIAO" – by Véra Marie Deubner and the Schwankhalle Bremen Choir – Speicher XI A, Hall 1

Jury

Jakob Grommas / Viktoria Dietz (Graphic-Design-Studio Grommas Dietz), Carolina Bergedieck / Johanna Hannemann (3-D-Design- and interior design studio Cajodesign) and Heike Neugebauer (Costume designer Shakespeare Company Bremen).

Digital Media

1st Prize

Alina Bardavid – "The Dirty Kommie Toys vs. The Guita Eater: A Freedom Mayhem" (2025), mixed-media installation, exhibition location during Hochschultage: Speicher XI 8, Room 2.11.080

2nd Prize

Milton Raggi Vinueza – "THE SPIRAL OF FORMICIDAE" (2025), performance, exhibition location during Hochschultage: Speicher XI A, Hall 1

3rd Prize

Seoyeon Lee – "Wasser" (Engl. Water) (2025), installation, exhibition location during Hochschultage: Speicher XI 8, Room 4.15.070

Interdisciplinary Prize

Andrea Wapler, Svenja Meierkord, and Yunus Dikici – "Writer Game" (2025), Interactive installation, exhibition location during Hochschultage: Speicher XI 8, 2.11 Corridor

Honourable Mentions:

• Valentina Gaete – "The Knots That We Untie Together", Sound installation, exhibition location dring Hochschultage: Speicher XI A, Halle 1
• Maria Prosphora – "Agnihotra", installation, exhibition location during Hochschultage: Speicher XI 8, Room 3.12.030
• Seongjoo Moon – "Mischief", installation, exhibition location during Hochschultage: Speicher XI 8, 2.10. Corridor.
• Rafael Soto Acebal – "States of Tension", installation, exhibition location during Hochschultage: Speicher XI 8, 2.10.050.

Guida Ribeiro, Yuyen Lin-Woywod, Christine Brovkina, Max Wolfs, Lotta Stöver