Mentoring-Program Art 2025/26

Deadline: Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025, 11:00am

The Mentoring Program Art at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna aims to support graduates with independent artistic practices in developing a professional artistic career. Positioned at the intersection of academic studies and freelance artistic activity, this one-year scholarship program is intended for graduates from all study fields at the Academy who seek mentoring during the initial phase of their post-graduate careers.

This program emphasizes individual knowledge and experience transfer from external mentors from the art and cultural sector, alongside financial support. The program promotes emerging artists from the Academy, ensures gender equality in the arts, and provides graduates with diverse insights into the art industry and practical knowledge to build a professional artistic career.

Program partners include the Association of Women Artists Austria (VBKÖ) and the Federal Ministry for Housing, Art, Culture, Media, and Sport (BMWKMS).

Members of the advisory board

Brishty Alam, Association of Women Artists Austria (VBKÖ)
Ingeborg Erhart, Vice-Rector for Art | Teaching, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Luisa Kasalicky, Institute of Fine Arts, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Verena Kaspar-Eisert, Chief Curator, MuseumsQuartier Vienna
Dorit Margreiter, Institute of Fine Arts, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Elias Molitschnig, Federal Ministry for Housing, Art, Culture, Media, and Sport (BMWKMS)
Annmarie Neher, Federal Ministry for Housing, Art, Culture, Media, and Sport (BMWKMS)
Stephanie Misa, Artist, Vienna
Olga Okunev, Federal Ministry for Housing, Art, Culture, Media, and Sport (BMWKMS)
Barbara Pflanzner, Program Manager, Mentoring Program Art, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna

Scholarship benefits

Scholarship amounting to a flat rate of € 9,000 per person, paid quarterly. (Any travel expenses or other program-related expenses incurred during the program year are not separately covered and must be paid from the scholarship.)
Individual Mentorship: Personal mentoring by an art or culture professional (3–5 meetings during the program year).
Input Workshop for Mentees: Focused on defining participant roles and structuring the mentor-mentee relationship.
Practical Workshops: Topics are tailored in collaboration with participants at the beginning of the program year.
Ongoing Peer Exchange: Includes peer-group meetings and collaborative sessions with program participants, mentors, and organizers.
Publication: Features essays by authors on the artistic practice of each scholarship holder (e.g., see 2024 booklet).

Mentors 2025/26

Bettina Busse, Curator, Kunstforum Wien
Nela Eggenberger, Art historian specializing in photography
Attilia Fattori Franchini, Independent curator, author, director, Kunstverein Gartenhaus
Marion Gruber, plov Architects Vienna
Sergey Harutoonian, Curator, Österreichische Galerie Belvedere
Sophie Haslinger, Curator, KunstHausWien
Barbara Kapusta, Artist
Eva Kovač, Curator BLOCKFREI Collective, Artistic Direction DAS WEISSE HAUS
Claudia Larcher, Artist
Sonia Leimer, Artist
Hana Ostan-Ožbolt-Haas, Independent curator and author
Maruša Sagadin, Artist
Michael Salvi, Schenker Salvi Weber Architects
Marijana Schneider, Curator, Museum der Moderne Salzburg
Bettina Spörr, Curator, Secession Vienna
Katja Stecher, Curator and Director, Kunstverein Baden
Michael Strasser, Artist
Franz Thalmair, Curator, mumok Vienna and Kunstraum Lakeside, Klagenfurt
Antoine Turillon, Artist
Pieternel Vermoortel, Senior Curator steirischer erbst
Elizabeth Ward, Artist and choreographer
Edin Zenun, Artist

Application requirements

Degree (Diploma/Master's) at the Academy in the academic year 2024/2025 or 2023/2024 (graduation in June 2025 at the latest).
Application Form
CV with details of education and artistic career (exhibitions, scholarships, awards).
Portfolio featuring five selected works/projects (maximum 25 pages, 10 MB).
Proof of residence (Meldezettel).

Selection criteria

Quality of the submitted application
Academic success
Artistic résumé, previous exhibitions, etc.
The motivation of the participants must correspond to the goals of the Mentoring Program Art

Schedule

By September 9, 2025: Deadline applications
By November 2025: Selection of participants and mentor-mentee pairings by the advisory board. Pairings may differ from applicants' preferences.
January 14, 2026, 9:00–12:00h: Input Workshop for mentees (with Dr. Martina Friedl).
January 27, 2026, 15:00–17:00h: Kick-off event for all participants.
May 13, 2026, 14:00-17:00h: Mid-year meeting.
December 11,2026, 15:00-17:00h: Final program meeting.
December 2026: Participant and mentor feedback collection.

Please keep these dates free!

Submission

Save your portfolio and CV as a single PDF file (max. 25 pages, 10 MB).
Save your residence and degree proofs as a separate PDF file (max. 5 MB).

For further information please contact Barbara Pflanzner (b.pflanzner@akbild.ac.at, +43 1 588 16-1204)

submission form

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