The annual editions are an integral part of the Kunstverein Ludwigshafen’s membership development program. For the first time, the KVLU is presenting the Jahresgaben in a historic public institution – the Altes Volksbad Mannheim – which embodies over 125 years of history of social welfare and public exchange. This unique setting offers artists the opportunity to show their work in a space that breathes the spirit of openness, community and democracy – values that both public baths and art associations have shared since the 19th century.
The cities of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim are located right next to each other, and the annual gifts are intended to strengthen cooperation and the diversity of the cultural scene in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region.
The Alte Volksbad, opened in 1890, was a place for the working population of Mannheim where social participation and public encounters were made possible. Today, the basement area of the baths is a place where culture and history come together, maintained by the Geschichtswerkstatt Neckarstadt e.V. (Neckarstadt History Workshop).
The Jahresgaben 2025 aim to take up this dialog: contemporary art meets historical spaces, publicity meets participation. Artists are invited to submit works that deal with the themes of community, the public sphere, history, social participation and the interplay between space and art.
The 2025 jury consists of:
- Luisa Heese (Deputy Director of the Kunsthalle Mannheim)
- Mirela Baciak (Director of the Salzburger Kunstverein)
- Chloe Carroll (Director of the Phillida Reid Gallery, London)
- Philipp Zechner (Altes Volksbad Mannheim)
- Angela Kerstner (Altes Volksbad Mannheim)
All information on the application and selection process can be found below in the call for applications. If you have any questions, please contact the Kunstverein at
Invitation to tender
German, English
English
Application deadline: October 31, 2025