SIMACEK AWARD
DER FÖRDERPREIS FÜR ZEITGENÖSSISCHE KUNST
That entrepreneurial action and cultural commitment do not exclude one another, but can complement each other in an exemplary way, is demonstrated by the SIMACEK GROUP. The Austrian family-owned company—one of the country’s leading service and facility management enterprises—has for many years been committed not only to sustainability and social responsibility, but also to the promotion of young, contemporary art. Under the name Art House SIMACEK, this commitment has developed into a clear cultural-political stance: to make a sustainable contribution to cultural diversity and artistic freedom in Austria.
At the center of this engagement is entrepreneur Mag. Ursula Simacek, Managing Partner of the SIMACEK GROUP. What began as a personal passion for collecting art has, over the years, evolved into a deep interest in the artists behind the works—their themes, challenges, and modes of expression. She is particularly drawn to the young art scene: its diversity, its courage to experiment, and its exploration of new perspectives. With great openness, curiosity, and a keen sense for quality, she has since pursued the goal not only of acquiring artworks, but of actively supporting and giving visibility to artistic positions.
This attitude led to the founding of the SIMACEK AWARD in 2022, realized in collaboration with ARTCARE—the Vienna-based platform for young and contemporary art. The award is specifically aimed at emerging artists at the beginning of their careers, with the clear objective of providing financial support, media visibility, and sustainable networking opportunities. From the very beginning, Ursula Simacek has been supported in this endeavor by the dedicated ARTCARE team, in particular by Art Director Raimund Deininger (†2025) and Project Manager Ulrike Reinthaler.
The professors nominate particularly outstanding artistic positions from among their students, graduates, and alumni of the past three years. From this selection, four award recipients are chosen. The ceremonial announcement of the four main winners takes place during the award ceremony—an evening dedicated to young art.
All winners receive an equally endowed prize money of €4,000 plus 20% VAT and produce an exclusive graphic edition for the SIMACEK GROUP (format 50 × 65 cm, edition of 20 + 5 artist’s proofs, as a screen or digital print). The production costs are fully covered.
This year’s award ceremony took place on
May 22, 2025, at the Künstlerhaus Factory (Vienna).
A special hallmark of quality of the SIMACEK AWARD is its jury, composed of four renowned professors and artists from art academies in Vienna, Linz, and Munich, as well as Ursula Simacek herself and Raimund Deininger. For 2025, the jury is composed as follows:
© Wolfgang Reichel
© Wolfgang Reichel
Ao.Univ.-Prof. Doz. Mag. Veronika Dirnhofer
Institute of Fine Arts, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Univ.-Prof. Mag.art. Mag.phil. Anna Jermolaewa
Class for Experimental Art, University of Art and Design Linz
© Philipp Horak für profil.
Univ.-Prof. Mag.art. Jakob Lena Knebl
Class for Transmedia Art, University of Applied Arts Vienna
Image: Susanne Stemmer © MUMOK.
Prof. Florian Pumhösl
Sculpture Class, Academy of Fine Arts Munich
© Wolfgang Reichel
© Wolfgang Reichel
Mag. Ursula Simacek
CEO SIMACEK Holding GmbH,
collector, Simacek Award initiator
Raimund Deininger
Art consultant, curator, gallerist,
editor, Art Director ARTCARE
I have now had the honor of serving as a jury member of the Simacek Award for the third time. It is very important to me to support and give visibility to this sponsorship award for young artists from various art universities. Especially at a time when artistic work often takes place under precarious conditions, it is all the more crucial to create spaces of recognition and encouragement for emerging artistic positions. A truly important initiative.
„
“
Ao.Univ.-Prof. Doz. Mag. Veronika Dirnhofer
Institute of Fine Arts, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
In the evaluation, the focus is on the spirit of the times and the artistic quality of the overall body of work. The relevance and significance of the work in relation to what is currently happening in the world is a key criterion in the selection of the award recipients.
„
“
Prof. Peter Kogler
Grafikklasse, Academy of fine arts, Munich
WINNERS 2025
SIMACEK AWARD
nominated by Jakob Lena Knebl
Like a spider’s web, Skarwan interweaves performance, sculpture, installation, video, and photography into open, permeable forms—fluid constellations that deliberately resist clear categorization. Skarwan’s artistic practice engages with fluid identities, questions normative attributions, and addresses the urgency of rethinking alternative ways of being and their relationship to the environment.
WINNERS 2025
SIMACEK AWARD
Kweku Okokroko
nominated by Veronika Dirnhofer
Kweku Okokroko’s work operates at the intersection of literature and visual art. Through a language composed of texts, paragraphs, lines, and stanzas—combined with visual elements such as line, form, and figure—he engages with his surroundings and articulates a personal view of the world.
Conceptually, his practice encompasses a broad thematic spectrum: nature, tradition, culture, identity, virtue, morality, and religion form central points of reference in his artistic exploration.
WINNERS 2025
SIMACEK AWARD
Arina Grinevich
nominated by Anna Jermolaewa
In her work, Grinevich engages with themes such as migration, belonging, memory, and identity. Her long-term project Kalykhanka is based on the painterly processing of her dreams—a poetic archive of the unconscious in which intimate inner worlds are translated into atmospheric pictorial spaces. She connects personal narratives with social reflection. Her works move between tenderness and resistance, between vulnerability and self-assertion.
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WINNERS 2025
SIMACEK AWARD
Chorong Moon
nominated by Florian Pumhösl
In Chorong Moons Skulpturen geht es um physische Bewegung, körperliche Wahrnehmung und die Wechselwirkung zwischen beiden, wie sie im täglichen Leben erfahren wird. Verschiedene Kräfte und Bewegungen – Schwerkraft, Rotation, Wellen, Resonanz – wirken überall um uns herum, unsichtbar, aber spürbar. Sie beobachtet und dokumentiert deren Bahnen, hält den Moment der Veränderung fest und übersetzt ihn in Form. Ihre Arbeiten entstehen aus einer ästhetischen Entscheidung, die das Interesse an physikalischen Phänomenen und sinnlichen Erfahrungen weckt.
by Jakob Lena Knebl
Class for Transmedia Art, University of Applied Arts Vienna
Cristian Anutoiu
Leonie Holtkamp
Valentino Skarwan
Laura Josic
Lin Wolf
Dalmonia Rognean
by Veronika Dirnhofer
Institute of Fine Arts, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Gregor Beiwl
Lisa Obereder
Kweku Okokroko
Shuvo Rafiqul
Paria Sharestani
Lotti Brockmann
by Anna Jermolaewa
Class for Experimental Art, University of Art and Design Linz
Veronika Harb
Katharina Maria Wimmer
Olga Shcheblykina
Arina Grinevich
Mathias Schlägel
Duy Hung Ngo
by Florian Pumhösl
Sculpture Class, Academy of Fine Arts Munich
Ömer Faruk Kaplan
Chorong Moon
Florian Nöthe
Ayaka Terajima
Ludwig Stalla
Josefine Simonsen
nominated by
Jakob Lena Knebl
Cristian Anutoiu
un-becoming.000 | screens, cables, 3D prints, sound, colored video | 2024
reform*carnage01 | Print on Aludibond | 100x80cm | 2023
see available works
Past winners
since 2022
SIMACEK AWARD 2023
MAK | Museum of Applied Arts Vienna
Lu Cheng (Akademie der Bildenden Künste, München)
Clemens Stöttinger (Universtität für künstlerische Gestaltung Linz)
Chiara Bals (Universtität für angewandte Kunst Wien)
Nanna Kaiser (Akademie der Bildenden Künste Wien)
SIMACEK AWARD 2022
MAK | Museum of Applied Arts Vienna
Jakob Krinzinger (Akademie der Bildenden Künste Wien)
Hiu Tung Ching (Akademie der Bildenden Künste München)
Lisa Sifkovits (Universität für Angewandte Kunst Wien)
Veronika Günther (Akademie der Bildenden Künste München)
Chin Tsao (Universität für Angewandte Kunst Wien)
Mascha Illich (Kunsthochschule Linz)
Mariella Lehner (Akademie der Bildenden Künste Wien)
>>> to the SA22 winners’ editions
© Wolfgang Reichel
Past
jury-members
© Wolfgang Reichel
Univ.-Prof. Hans Schabus
Sculpture and Space, University of Applied Arts Vienna
Univ.-Prof. Hans Schabus
Sculpture and Space, University of Applied Arts Vienna
Prof. Peter Kogler
Grafikklasse, Academy of Fine Arts Munich
Gallery
Nominees, Simacek Team, ARTCARE Team
Award Ceremony 2025 at Künstlerhaus Vienna
Ursula Simacek mit den vier Jurymitgliedern und den vier Preisträger:innen 2025.
V.l.n.r. Jakob Lena Knebl, Valentino Skarwan, Ursula Simacek, Veronika Dirnhofer, Kweku Okokroko, Chorong Moon, Florian Pumhösl, Arina Grinevich, Anna Jermolaewa.
Award Ceremony 2023 at MAK | Museum of Applied Arts Vienna
The Jury 2023 (Peter Kogler, Hans Schabus, Ursula Siamcek, Raimund Deininger, Veronika Dirnhofer, with artist Lousie Deininger
Award presentation to the winner Chiara Bals (2023 class Hans Schabus)
Award presentation to the winner Lu Cheng (2023 – class of Prof. Peter Kogler)
Winners’ editions of the Simacek Award 2022
Winners’ editions of the Simacek Award 2022