StartPoint Prize

Since its foundation in 2003, the StartPoint Prize for European art graduates has grown from an initially national graduate’s showcase to a large-scale European project tracking emerging artistic talent. Each year, members of the international curatorial team and other collaborators map around 20 art schools from many European countries to select the most interesting works. These then go through further curatorial selection into a final exhibition of the most outstanding emerging European artists.

In addition to the exhibition, accompanied by a catalogue and website, it is above all a meeting of up-and-coming artists and professionals across countries, traditions, and genres, which can bring them and the audience new opportunities for comparison. This rapprochement is further developed by the STARTED residency programme for the winner and awarded finalists, which culminates in an exhibition.

The StartPoint Prize is unique not only for its long tradition, but also for its independence, where the academies hold only a minority of consulting vote. The most important criterion are novelty and originality.