Organizer Information
The Otto Mauer Fonds was established in 1980 by the Archdiocese of Vienna to carry forward, in an institutional form, the dialogue between the church and contemporary art that Msgr. Otto Mauer (1907–1973) had championed during his lifetime. As a priest, art theorist, and patron, Mauer ran the Galerie nächst St. Stephan in Vienna and became one of the most influential supporters of contemporary art and young artists in postwar Austria. The Fonds administers the Msgr. Otto Mauer-Preis annually and works closely with the Dom Museum Wien, which holds and continues to develop the Sammlung Otto Mauer, a collection built around Mauer's own artistic legacy. Past recipients of the prize include artists such as Erwin Wurm, Franz West, and Brigitte Kowanz, and it is regarded as one of Austria's most significant awards for younger visual artists.
Title & Description
Msgr. Otto Mauer-Preis 2026
In continuation of the concerns of Msgr. Otto Mauer, whose engagement with contemporary art and support of young artists set international standards, the Otto Mauer Fonds awards the 46th Msgr. Otto-Mauer-Preis für bildende Kunst am Ende des Jahres. The prize covers painting, graphic art, sculpture, object art, installation, and new media, and honors a body of work that connects artistic and social discourse in an innovative way. In the interest of continuing the Sammlung Otto Mauer at the Dom Museum Wien, the Fonds intends to acquire a representative work by the prizewinner. The jury for the 2026 edition is chaired for the first time by Johanna Schwanberg, Director of the Dom Museum Wien, alongside artists Iris Andraschek and Cäcilia Brown (herself a past Otto Mauer prizewinner), independent curator Rainer Fuchs, curator and art critic Klaus Speidel, and Luisa Ziaja, Chief Curator at the Belvedere.
Categories
- Painting
- Drawing
- Sculpture
- Installation
- New Media
- Visual Arts
- Mixed Media
Eligibility
- Open to artists holding Austrian citizenship, or with ordinary residence in Austria for at least five years
- Maximum age of 45 (born 1981 or later — applicants must not yet have completed their 46th year of life by 31 December 2026)
- If several artists apply jointly as a group, the age limit applies to every member of the group
Program Benefits & Awards
- Prize money: EUR 15,000
- An exhibition of the prizewinner's work at the JesuitenFoyer (1010 Vienna)
- Extensive press and public-relations coverage
- The Otto Mauer Fonds intends to acquire a representative work by the prizewinner for the Sammlung Otto Mauer at the Dom Museum Wien
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Documentation enabling an assessment of the artist's work to date (catalogues, photos, texts, videos — no originals)
- Curriculum vitae
- 1–3 web links
- Submitted materials must be labeled with name, address, phone number, date of birth, and the heading "Msgr. Otto Mauer-Preis 2026"
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Submission window: 5–7 October 2026
- Submission hours: 10:00–13:00 and 15:00–18:00 on each of the submission days
- Postal submissions must arrive no later than Wednesday, 7 October 2026
Location
Vienna, Austria
Additional Details
- Applications are submitted under exclusion of legal recourse
- The Otto Mauer Fonds assumes no liability for submitted materials
- Submitted materials form the basis for the jury's assessment
- If no work is deemed worthy of the prize, no prize will be awarded