FRANKFURT.- Ten years ago, DZ BANK’s Art Foundation revived its fellowship program, which had previously been active from 1994 to 2001. Since its revival, the program has featured artists from diverse backgrounds and various age groups, bringing fresh perspectives and expanding the foundation’s mission. Every year, the foundation selects new fellows without knowing exactly how their projects will unfold over the next year. The final exhibition often surprises, showcasing innovative techniques and themes that develop "out of the blue."

This year's recipients, Maryam Jafri and Ian Waelder, received fellowships of €12,000 each, starting in June 2023 and ending in May 2024. The resulting works from their year-long projects are now part of the DZ BANK collection. In addition, pieces by artists Heba Y. Amin, Barbara Proschak, and the Studio for Propositional Cinema were also acquired. These artists had been chosen by the jury a year earlier to complement the exhibition.

The spectrum of themes explored in the exhibition ranges from personal and biographical narratives to scientific inquiries, as well as utopian and dystopian visions. Despite their diversity, all the artists share a focus on societal issues, often expressed through photography and the incorporation of found materials. They challenge the boundaries of genres and generations, demonstrating how art can offer new perspectives and solutions to contemporary challenges.

One of the common threads among the participating artists is their exploration of international, cross-border relationships, both economic and societal. The exhibition highlights how culture can serve as a stabilizing force for societies, fostering mutual learning, inspiration, and the exchange of knowledge. This cultural exchange has always been a vital part of human progress, and today, it is more crucial than ever.
Artist Highlights

Maryam Jafri

Born in 1972 in the United States to Pakistani parents, Maryam Jafri is a multidisciplinary artist working with photography, video, and sculptural installations. Her work often questions cultural and visual representations of history, society, and economics from a global perspective. One of her central interests is lithium carbonate, a substance used in the treatment of mental health disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder, as well as in emerging research for Alzheimer’s and dementia. Lithium carbonate also plays a significant role in the "rechargeable revolution" tied to electric vehicles, computers, and solar energy. Jafri’s installations integrate literature, traditions like assemblage, and conceptual art. She currently lives and works in Copenhagen and New York City.

Ian Waelder

Born in 1993 in Madrid, Spain, Ian Waelder explores memory, traces, space, and language in his work. A student of fine arts at the Städelschule in Frankfurt under the guidance of Professor Haegue Yang, Waelder creates installations using photography, sculpture, and painting. His work reflects his personal history, with a particular focus on found materials that symbolize broader narratives. His process is intuitive, using his hands to shape materials and allowing viewers to add their own interpretations. Waelder lives and works in Frankfurt.

Heba Y. Amin

Heba Y. Amin, born in 1980 in Cairo, Egypt, holds a Master of Fine Arts and studied at various universities in the United States. Her work delves into political issues and historical archives, using film, photography, and sculpture to create installations and lecture performances. Amin’s speculative approach questions narratives of conquest and control, and her works explore the relationship between vision and power, illustrating how surveillance plays a role in hierarchies. Amin is based in Berlin.

Barbara Proschak

Barbara Proschak, born in 1984 in Eggenfelden, Germany, studied photography and has participated in residencies in South Korea and Denmark. Proschak meticulously collects, arranges, and categorizes thousands of photographs, which she integrates into her visual arrangements. Her works often focus on the human body, examining poses, gestures, and even microscopic details of the skin. Proschak lives and works in Leipzig.