Open Call
Jahresgaben 2026
Application deadline: July 21, 2026
History of the Jahresgaben and current role
The Jahresgaben date back to the founding of the Kunstverein München in 1823, when members received an annual art print as part of their membership. Over time, it developed into a group exhibition of works by mostly Munich-based artists. The Jahresgaben are an important format that reflects the density and diversity of the local contemporary art scene in Munich, foregrounding the breadth of artistic production in the city. The focus of the Jahresgaben is on artists who have a connection to the city, who live and work here, who have exhibited at the Kunstverein, and/or who have completed their education here, thereby remaining in active exchange with the institution and its broader artistic environment. The Jahresgaben remain an important annual exhibition for Kunstverein München: a moment that brings together artists, members, and audiences, while reaffirming the institution’s role as a place of encounter and exchange within the city.
Mutual support
Members of Kunstverein München have the opportunity to purchase works at special prices, thereby supporting local artistic production as well as Kunstverein München. Half of the profits from sales go to the artists, the other half to the Kunstverein and the Künstlersozialkasse—a solidarity-based structure of mutual support between the artists and the institution.
Affordability for all
It is important to Kunstverein München that members of different backgrounds and financial means have the opportunity to afford the purchase of a Jahresgabe. For this reason, there is the following price regulation: for the Jahresgaben, each artist may submit up to four works, of which at least two may not exceed a selling price of 700 EUR each. The prices are inclusive of any applicable tax. The production costs are covered by the artists themselves and may not be passed on to the Kunstverein. Kunstverein München reserves the right to make minor changes to these guidelines under certain conditions.
Breakdown of the selection criteria
The selection of artists for the Jahresgaben reflects the greatest possible diversity and is carried out by the team of Kunstverein München according to the following criteria:
- different ages and levels of experience
- heterogeneous working methods and practices
- diverse backgrounds and trajectories
- gender diversity
- artistic professionalism
- annual changes, at least 20% newcomers, for example recent graduates of the Academy of Fine Arts Munich
- sales figures of past years
- maximum of 95 artists for each edition
- current students are not eligible to participate
Open Call
Since it is important to Kunstverein München to make participation in the Jahresgaben transparent and accessible, an open call based on the above criteria was introduced in 2023. Aplications can be submitted until July 21 for the current year. This requires sending a short letter of motivation and portfolio to jahresgaben@kunstverein-muenchen.de. This does not apply to artists from the last three annual editions, as these are automatically shortlisted. All applications will be reviewed by the Kunstverein München team. The selection will also be made jointly.
For questions and feedback, please contact jahresgaben@kunstverein-muenchen.de.