Klaus Fischer receives the ADKV-Wulf-Herzogenrath Prize for Voluntary Work

Presentation on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the start of the ADKV Herzogenrath Forum in Hall 14 in Leipzig 
 

Berlin/Cologne/Zwickau, October 2025


The second ADKV–Wulf-Herzogenrath Prize for Volunteer Work will be awarded to Klaus Fischer, founder and long-time director of the Friends of Contemporary Art Association in Zwickau. The award recognizes Klaus Fischer's outstanding civic engagement in contemporary art and culture.

In the midst of a period of profound social and structural change following German reunification, Klaus Fischer founded the Freunde aktueller Kunst in Zwickau in 1998. After living in Tübingen and Berlin, he settled in Zwickau in 1997 and immediately began to establish an exhibition space focusing on contemporary art. With his interest in current artistic trends, his infectious energy, and his new ideas, he managed to inspire members and artists to join the association despite difficult economic conditions. In a very short time, the Friends of Contemporary Art Zwickau developed an extraordinary appeal—far beyond the borders of Saxony.

For more than 25 years now, Klaus Fischer has been responsible for a consistently high-quality exhibition program that features artists from central Germany as well as internationally renowned artists and up-and-coming talents from all over Germany. With this curatorial concept, the Friends of Contemporary Art have established a space on equal terms – for exchange, visibility, and artistic inspiration that links regional and international perspectives. This art association is a place of cultural encounter – for artists and an audience that can experience contemporary art in all its diversity here.

Many of the exhibiting artists have become long-standing companions. Internationally renowned artists include Pipilotti Rist, Thomas Florschuetz, Hans Haacke, Michael Wesely, Norbert Bisky, Karin Kneffel, and Jorinde Voigt. Following exhibitions in 2000 and 2015, Rosa Loy and Neo Rauch will also be guests at the Friends of Contemporary Art in 2026.

Political and ecological art projects that address current social issues have always been part of the art association's profile. Open calls for submissions in the context of exhibitions such as “Democracy. Vote! Don't shoot!” (2024) not only make social issues visible, but also open up new spaces for participation, exchange, and supraregional networking.

Founded by Klaus Fischer, the Kunstverein Feunde aktueller Kunst is now not only a key cultural player in Zwickau, but also a nationwide showcase project for civic participation and cultural education—a project that has also had to defend itself against direct attacks from the right wing.

Klaus Fischer shaped the association into a widely recognized voice for democracy and artistic freedom in a polarized society. His voluntary commitment to art and culture and his work for a democratic and open civil society are outstanding and exemplary. 


We would like to thank Klaus Fischer for his many years of successful work by awarding him the ADKV–Wulf-Herzogenrath Prize for Voluntary Work.
 

Award ceremony on Saturday, November 15, 2025, in Hall 14 in Leipzig

The award ceremony, at which Wulf Herzogenrath will present the prize to Klaus Fischer, will take place on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. in Hall 14 in Leipzig, marking the start of the ADKV–Herzogenrath Forum. The laudatory speech will be given by Dr. Sarah Alberti.

The ADKV–Herzogenrath Forum on November 15 and 16 invites participants to continue the dialogue in times of social polarization—about responsibility, solidarity, and the future of cultural work—and will take place following the ADKV's annual general meeting.

 

Information about the ADKV–Wulf-Herzogenrath Prize for Volunteer Work

The ADKV–Wulf-Herzogenrath Prize for Voluntary Work was established in 2024 by the Wulf-Herzogenrath Cultural Foundation in cooperation with the Working Group of German Art Associations (ADKV) and honors individuals who have shown exceptional voluntary commitment to the promotion and visibility of contemporary art over many years. The prize is awarded in the form of a certificate designed individually for each winner. The painter Karin Kneffel kindly agreed to design the unique certificate for Klaus Fischer.

Information about the founder

Wulf Herzogenrath—the prize's namesake and founder—is one of the most influential figures in contemporary art in Germany. As an art historian, curator, and exhibition organizer, he has made a significant impact, particularly in the field of media art. In 1973, he became the youngest director ever to take over the helm of the Kölnischer Kunstverein. He was then appointed chief curator of the National Gallery in 1989, before taking over the reorientation of the Kunsthalle Bremen – one of Germany's largest art associations – as its director from 1994 to 2011. This was followed by his appointment as director of the Fine Arts Section of the Berlin Academy of Arts from 2012 to 2021.

In 1980, Herzogenrath and colleagues founded the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Kunstvereine (ADKV), of which he was the first chairman for over ten years. The Wulf Herzogenrath Cultural Foundation was established on his 80th birthday in 2024.

Wulf Herzogenrath has been committed to strengthening the structure and raising the profile of German art associations for decades. His many years of work in art associations, his commitment to their visibility and quality, and the founding of the ADKV make him a central figure in the context of independent art spaces. By establishing this award, he is sending a clear signal of recognition for the often invisible but indispensable voluntary work that art associations throughout Germany carry out and keep alive.