There has been an internal exhibition space at the university since 2015, which initially opened with a series of solo exhibitions by particularly successful alumni. Since then, it has developed into a much frequented project and presentation space for solo, group and class exhibitions, sometimes in cooperation with other art academies or international guests.

With the establishment of the external exhibition space ‘apotheke’ on Große Langgasse in 2017, the art academy created a permanent presence in the center of the state capital. Conceived as a shop window gallery visible from the outside without admission or opening hours, its function was designed from the outset to be site-specific and as self-explanatory as possible, inviting the passing public to view, discuss and pause: a basic idea that was to prove its worth, especially during the pandemic, as it offers optimal opportunities for artistic presentation even under lockdown conditions. With exhibitions by professors such as Parastou Forouhar’s transcultural writing space, installation works by Shannon Bool or Megan Francis Sullivan, the installation of a truck tractor disassembled into its individual parts and reassembled behind the windows of the ‘apotheke’ (Christine Biehler: ‘MAN-o-MAN’), numerous expansive projects by students, and most recently performative actions such as ‘CLOPEN’ or ‘Aktion Krautgelände’, the art academy has always attracted a lot of attention.

Since 2020, the artistic exhibition space ‘apotheke’ has been complemented by an art education and exhibition space of the Kunsthochschule Mainz the ‘Orangerei’. Public events, art education projects and courses are held here in the city center and their results are presented.

A third pillar of the Kunsthochschule’s exhibition activities are cross-class group and themed exhibitions with professionally operating institutions such as the Kunsthalle Mainz or nationally operating art associations in 2020/21.

Proposals for exhibitions and applications for financial support for larger exhibition projects should be addressed to the Art Transfer Public Department.
Email Kto@kunsthochschule-mainz.de

Neustart / Rundgang
The protected work in the studio classes is one thing; the public presentation of the resulting works is another. This is why the Kunsthochschule Mainz opens its studios and exhibition spaces to the public every year at the end of the semester for the ‘Rundgang’ or ‘Neustart’.

During the ‘Rundgang’, all students from the twelve art classes show their latest works for three days. Not only the studios, but the entire building becomes an exhibition space for painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography, film, media art and performance. This is also an opportunity for outsiders to take a look behind the scenes and get an impression of what art students are currently working on.

While the ‘Rundgang’ is open to all students at the end of the summer semester and the limited space must be used accordingly, the ‘Neustart’ at the end of the winter semester offers graduates more exclusive and generous conditions. It is the hopeful start to a career as a teacher or freelance artist. For their ‘fresh start’, they are each given individual rooms in which they can present their final works in solo exhibitions. The class studios and storage rooms are also made available for this purpose in order to allow the public to participate. The examination exhibitions are an essential part of the art course, which is summed up once again by the ‘Neustart’.