The Kunsthochschule Mainz’s identity rests on two pillars

Enabling high-quality contemporary artistic expression among its students and actively showcasing their work to the public. In addition to the annual exhibition formats typical of art academies — the Rundgang, in which all students can present a work, and the public degree presentations of graduating students under the title Neustart — the Kunsthochschule also runs an ambitious programme of additional exhibitions. The Art – Transfer – Public department oversees these exhibitions.

Since 2015, the Kunsthochschule has maintained an internal exhibition space that initially opened with a series of solo exhibitions by successful alumni. Over time, the space has developed into a frequently used venue for solo, group, and class exhibitions, sometimes in collaboration with other art schools or international guests.

In 2017, the Kunsthochschule established an external exhibition space called “apotheke” on Große Langgasse, securing a permanent presence in the centre of the state capital. Designed as a shopfront gallery visible from the outside with no entry fee or opening hours, it was conceived from the beginning to showcase site-specific and self-explanatory presentations that encourage passersby to stop, look, and reflect. This concept proved particularly valuable during the pandemic as it provided ideal conditions for artistic presentation, even during lockdowns. Notable exhibitions include those by professors, such as Parastou Forouhar’s transcultural space of writing, installation works by Shannon Bool and Megan Francis Sullivan, and Christine Biehler’s “MAN-o-MAN,” which featured a dismantled truck cab reassembled behind the “apotheke’s” windows. These exhibitions, alongside numerous large-scale student projects and performative actions, such as “CLOPEN” and “Aktion Krautgelände,” have consistently attracted considerable public attention.

Since 2020, the “apotheke” has been complemented by the “Orangerie,” an art education and exhibition space also run by the Kunsthochschule Mainz. Public events, art education projects, and courses are held here, in the heart of the city, and their results are presented.

A third aspect of the Kunsthochschule’s exhibition activities consists of cross-class group and thematic exhibitions in collaboration with professional institutions, such as the Kunsthalle Mainz in 2020/21, and regional art associations. Proposals for exhibitions and applications for financial support for larger exhibition projects should be directed to the Art – Transfer – Public department.

Neustart / Rundgang

Protected work in studio classes is one thing, but presenting the resulting works to the public is another. Each year, at the end of the semester, the Kunsthochschule Mainz opens its studios, workshops, and exhibition spaces to the public for the Rundgang or Neustart.

During the Rundgang, all students from the twelve artistic classes display their most recent work over the course of three days. The entire building, not just the studio spaces, becomes an exhibition venue for painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography, film, media art, and performance. The Rundgang is also an opportunity for outsiders to look behind the scenes and see what art students are currently exploring.

While the Rundgang at the end of the summer semester is open to all students — and the limited space must be used accordingly — the Neustart at the end of the winter semester offers graduating students more exclusive and generous conditions. It marks the hopeful beginning of a career as a teacher or independent artist. For the Neustart, graduates are each allocated individual rooms in which to present solo exhibitions of their degree work. Studio and storage spaces are also made available so the public can participate. These exhibitions are an essential part of artistic study and are brought together once more in the Neustart.