Since 1953, the ars viva visual arts prize has been awarded to outstanding young artists living in Germany, whose works of art demonstrate an independent formal language and an awareness of contemporary issues. This year, the Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft is distinguishing Rob Crosse (*1985), Richard Sides (*1985), and Sung Tieu (*1987) with the 2021 ars viva prize.

Für das beeindruckende, umfangreiche 17 Meter hohe Wandgemälde im Treppenhaus des Ostflügels des Künstlerhauses Hannover porträtierte die Malerin Sophie von Hellermann Auszüge der Historie Hannovers. Personen wie George V., König von Hannover, die Namensschwester der Künstlerin, Sophie von der Pfalz, aber auch Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz tauchten hier palimpsestartig auf - ohne Vorzeichnung direkt auf die Wand gemalt. Mit dieser Publikation wird das raumgreifende Wandgemälde nun nachträglich festgehalten und von Auszügen des bisweilen poetischen Briefaustauschs der Kurfürstin mit dem Gelehrten Leibniz begleitet, welchen die Künstlerin im Kontext der Arbeit studierte. Ed.: Kunstverein Hannover, Stiftung Niedersachsen

Daring work exploring the complex connections between history and contemporary culture The work of American artist Rodney McMillian (born 1969) includes painting, sculpture and installations as well as video, performance and sound works. His focus is on the role of Black people in art history and within the context of contemporary American life. In its thematic and formal rigor, following the trajectory set out by American Abstract Expressionism and socially critical Postminimalism, McMillian's work goes far beyond this simple classification. In dealing with economic status, race, gender and tradition, it becomes a material treatise on the social fabric of the US. Aspects of his work negotiate between the body politic and a politicized body.The Land: Not Without a Politicreproduces the first European survey exhibition that ran at MARTA Herford and embeds it in the broader context of McMillian's oeuvre and diverse social and art historical discourses.

Alexandra Leykauf works with photographs, photocopies and film ndash; her pictures and installations deal with perspective, deception and illusion. Photographs that have been found, for example, from burnt down theatre and cinema halls are torn from their original contexts, processed and manipulated, so that the 'unique character' of a picture is put into question. Leykauf represents what has already been represented, and creates illusionist, self-referential art which present many types of interpretation. She sees her pictures as a 'kaleidoscope' whose individual facets each have equal prominence and keep on finding new points of contact. Includes an interview with the artist by Kathleen Rahn. Published to accompany the exhibition at Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, March ndash; 26 June 2010. English, French and German text.

Henrike Naumann's sculptural installation reimagines a split Germany in the year 2000 The first monograph on Berlin-based artist Henrike Naumann (born 1984) documents her series 2000, an installation in which Naumann devises her own version of a German Pavilion for the Expo 2000 in Hanover, in which the country was symbolically split apart.