Degussa Goldhandel, in partnership with Monopol magazine, announced the five nominees for the 2026 Young Generation Art Award at the prestigious Frieze London art fair. The award, which recognizes promising young artists in contemporary art, was established in 2024 and first presented in 2025.
This year, Degussa Goldhandel is debuting at Frieze London and will showcase a solo exhibition of the 2025 winner, Thuy Tien Nguyen, whose work impressed the jury. Yesterday, at the fair’s opening, the new shortlist for 2026 was revealed. The nominees are Yuhao Chen, Lunita July Dorn, Arne Grashoff, Emmélie Lempert, and Ken Nwadiogbu. They were selected from nearly 400 entries, demonstrating the high level of interest in this art prize among young artists.
The five artists on the shortlist will be featured in the November issue of Monopol magazine and their work will be displayed in a joint exhibition at the Degussa branch in Berlin from November 28th. “It is a significant milestone for the Young Generation Art Award to debut its first winner at Frieze London in only its second year. This internationally significant presence underscores the relevance and sustainability of our commitment to art,” says Christian Rauch, CEO of Degussa.
Elke Buhr, editor-in-chief of Monopol, adds, “The Young Generation Art Award has received an overwhelming response from young artists, highlighting its resonance with them. I am thrilled with the diversity and quality of the submissions and look forward to presenting the five most outstanding artists in Monopol.”
The Young Generation Art Award includes a prize of 10,000 euros for the winner, and each shortlisted nominee will receive 3,000 euros. An expert jury, consisting of Yilmaz Dziewior, director of Museum Ludwig in Cologne; Maya Heckelmann, curator and head of arts and culture sponsorship at Degussa; and Elke Buhr, editor-in-chief of Monopol magazine, will select the 2026 winner from the five finalists.
Below are short biographies of the nominees:
– Yuhao Chen (born 1991, China) studied at the China Academy of Art and the Academy of Fine Arts Munich and currently lives and works in Munich.
– Lunita July Dorn (born 1999, Berlin) is currently studying at the Weissensee School of Art and Design under Friederike Feldmann and resides in Berlin.
– Arne Grashoff (born 1995, south Germany) studied communication design in Stuttgart and photography at the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig. He currently continues his studies in Berlin.
– Emmélie Lempert (born 1998, Bonn) studied psychology at Humboldt University in Berlin and then fine arts at the Düsseldorf Art Academy. She lives and works in Bonn and Berlin.
– Ken Nwadiogbu (born 1994, Lagos, Nigeria) initially studied engineering before pursuing art. He completed a master’s degree in painting at the Royal Academy of Arts in London and currently resides there.
Through the Young Generation Art Award, Degussa and Monopol aim to support the next generation of artists and send a message to the young European art scene about the importance of artistic quality and diversity.
For more information, please contact:
Degussa Holding AG, Oberneuhofstrasse 12, 6340 Baar, Switzerland;
Andrea Haener, email: presse@degussa.com
Res Publica Verlags GmbH, Fasanenstrasse 7–8, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
Elke Buhr, email: buhr@monopol-magazin.de
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.