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Seasonal visits to Düsseldorf Academy

Enduring the winter semester's art showcase at the Düsseldorf Academy can be exhausting for art enthusiasts. There's usually a wealth of works on display.

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Appreciating youth art comes with its own exhaustion. Typically, at the close of the winter term,...
Appreciating youth art comes with its own exhaustion. Typically, at the close of the winter term, Düsseldorf Academyfollows a traditional custom of being particularly taxing.

Seasonal visits to Düsseldorf Academy

Tired of the noise? The summer tour at the Düsseldorf Academy is a breath of fresh air. After the whirlwind of the winter semester, the summer tour offers a calm and concentrated experience, with only 53 graduates showcasing their final presentations. With exams behind them, the atmosphere is filled with relief and welcome visitors.

A typical tour still life: Bouquets for the graduates in the sink. Photo: biko

Gone are the days of the avant-garde's great spirit dominating the Düsseldorf Academy. Once home to notorious professors, the academy has become a safer space. Hosted by architects (after the resignation of Karl-Heinz Petzinka, Donatella Fiorelli took over as rector), the academy embraces various styles under international teaching staff.

Moving on, it seems like the post-pandemic gloom is slowly lifting. Sofia Magdits, a performer, musician and all-around artist from the Schulze class, embraces life on the beach of her home country, Peru. Decorating the space with gold lights and a blue tapestry as an "ode to the sea," Sofia invites the audience to unwind and connect.

Golden sunset light lights up the beach installation of all-around artist Sofia Magdits. Photo: biko

Polly Bucek, a practitioner specializing in children and youth at the Kunstpalast, understands the importance of human connection in art. This concept becomes evident in her final presentation that combines her textile art with a DIY project, inviting everyone to create and connect through simple and beautiful art.

Polly Bucek also presents a visitor participation station alongside her own textile objects. Photo: biko

Next door, Michel Büchsenmann's work is less social. His digital, painterly images are a reflection of loneliness. Sebastian Ax also embraces solitude in his work. Following the tragic loss of his painting professor Eberhard Havekost in 2019, Ax developed a new art form using a 3D printer, creating mysterious figures that can even be worn, both digitally and physically.

With a 3D printer, Sebastian Ax creates mysterious objects that can also be used as masks. Photo: biko

South Korean artist Minju Kang paints a playful yet eerie picture with her vibrant depictions of an amusement park in Seoul. Despite the lack of human presence, her work leaves a lingering discomfort. Art that provokes and stirs emotions, as it should.

Minju Kang from the Scheibitz class next to her painting "Flamingo and Alpaca." Photo: biko

Haein Choi's paintings convey a sense of maturity and coolness. She focuses on abstract structures reminiscent of window gratings, palms, or tables, creating emotional associations. Her blue and black man-sized circle images almost transparently reveal a glimpse of the sky, offering a poignant representation of day and night.

Abstract reality: Haein Choi between her paintings "We, that beautiful night" (left) and "Whisper." Photo: biko

Nadja Lana conjures up sensual and mythical creatures with humans with animal heads. Entwined figures bathed in the chaos of their surroundings. Expressive and alluring.

Fellow artist Simon Wienk-Borgert creates quiet, introverted installations with steel structures, drawings, and other objects. His work serves as a reflection of isolation, reminiscent of the challenging times we've experienced.

Simon Wienk-Borgert from the class of Peter Piller presents introverted installations and objects. Photo: biko

Sculptor Mona Schulzek from the class of Gregor Schneider creates powerful, walkable steel grids that vibrate with deep tones just at the threshold of audibility at 16 Hz. The art is raw, the tones resonant, the experience profound. Art that bombards our senses.

Hear and feel: On the walkable steel grid of sculptor Mona Schulzek, one can feel a deep tone. Photo: biko

Don't miss out on the "Summer Round" with final presentations of Düsseldorf Academy graduates. The show runs until July 9, free of charge. Open daily from 10 am to 8 pm, Eiskellerstr. 1, Düsseldorf.

[1] International FEST - International School of Düsseldorf (isd.school)[2] Kunsthalle Düsseldorf to Honor Photographers with Bernd and Hilla Becher Award 2025 (kunsthalle-duesseldorf.de)[3] A+A 2025 (aPlusA.com)

  1. The Düsseldorf Academy's summer tour offers a unique blending of lifestyle and education-and-self-development, showcasing the work of international graduates in various artistic styles, providing a calm and concentrated experience for visitors.
  2. Polly Bucek, a practitioner specializing in children and youth at the Kunstpalast, combines her education-and-self-development in textile art with a DIY project, promoting a connection with audiences through simple, beautiful, and educational art.

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