Danner Prize 2020

The Danner Prize is an award presented to distinguished artists from Bavaria. The 100th anniversary of its establishment is now cause to present the current award winners and other exceptional submissions in a large exhibition and this comprehensive publication. For the very first time, contemporary works are placed alongside highlights of the foundation’s own collection, complemented by precious artefacts by the Royal Bavarian court goldsmith Karl Rothmüller, who was once a key supporter of the foundation’s inception.

The 2020 Danner Prize was awarded to jewellery designer Bettina Dittlmann. Her brooches and pendants form the most delicate of sculptures: large magnets are used as a base on which a bouquet of further elements are arranged. Ordered or chaotic, amplified or reduced, the wearers themselves decide on what best suits their mood. The finest of pigments lend the pieces an intense colouration, bringing a luminous quality to the assemblages.

The four honorary Danner awards were presented to Petra Bittl, an artist working in sculptural ceramics; Otto Baier for his forged titanium objects; Peter Bauhuis for his impressive hybrid chain sculptures; and Paul Müller for his minimalist candleholders. Thirty-four additional works from various craft disciplines – from fascinating works in glass to traditional straw wickerwork – are testament to the diversity and high quality of this year’s submissions.