Mainz Art Prize Iron Tower

Hans-Jürgen Imiela Memorial Prize

organized by Kunstverein Eisenturm Mainz e.V.
donated by Volksbank Darmstadt Mainz eG

October 2025 – Theme “self-portrait – the staged self

Technique Photography and drawing

With the growing self-confidence of artists on the threshold from the late Middle Ages to the early modern period, the self-portrait as a type of image established a firm place in art history.
From the 19th century to the modern selfie, the technology of photography further expanded the artistic possibilities. The portrait moves in the field of tension between external and internal appearance and shows us just as much as the artist wishes to reveal about himself. The central question underlying the portraits is that of one’s own identity. What am I and what do I want to be?

Exhibition opening and award ceremony:
Thursday, October 30, 2025 at 7 p.m. in the MVB-Forum, Neubrunnenstraße 2, 55116 Mainz
Exhibition duration: October 31, 2025 to December 12, 2025

Closing date: July 4, 2025