Wolfgang Tillmans wins the Roswitha Haftmann Prize 2026
Published on 08/19/2026 at 17:20 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Wolfgang Tillmans receives the Roswitha Haftmann Prize 2026. The Roswitha Haftmann Foundation says the award comes with CHF 150,000 and will be presented on September 17 at Kunsthaus Zurich. e-flux announcement
The prize and its weight
The foundation describes Tillmans as the 28th recipient of a prize that honors lifetime achievement. It also says the jury chose him for an oeuvre that connects photography, public debate and social responsibility.
ArtReview reported the same award on May 22, 2026 and confirmed the CHF 150,000 amount and the September 17 ceremony date. That makes the prize one of the clearest institutional markers in Tillmans' 2026 calendar.
Why this matters now
For collectors and museum watchers, the prize sharpens attention on an artist whose work moves between portraits, still lifes, landscapes, video and installational image groups. Tillmans has long used photography as a spatial medium, not just a printed one.
The e-flux text also notes his ongoing public commitment through campaigns around democracy and participation. That wider civic frame remains part of how institutions now present his work.
All news and background on Wolfgang Tillmans
Exhibitions, prizes and collection appearances shape the current reading of Wolfgang Tillmans' practice.
The practice behind the prize
Tillmans is best known for a photography practice that expands into tables, wall constellations, printed matter and sound. The foundation's statement emphasizes materiality, installation and the politics of images.
In that sense, the prize does not just honor a biography. It also recognizes a method that turned photographic display into a core part of contemporary exhibition language.
Where Tillmans stands now
The Roswitha Haftmann Prize ceremony is scheduled for September 17, 2026 at Kunsthaus Zurich.
Key facts on Wolfgang Tillmans
- Artist: Wolfgang Tillmans
- Medium / Genre: Photography, installation, video, text
- Born: 1968, Remscheid, Germany
- Place(s) of practice: London and Berlin
- Active since: 1990s
- Key work groups: Truth study center, Freischwimmer, Concorde, paper drops
- Current/last exhibition: Keep Movin' at Regen Projects, Los Angeles, January 15-March 1, 2026
- Major collections: MoMA, Tate, Centre Pompidou, Guggenheim
- Awards: Turner Prize, Goslar Kaiserring, Roswitha Haftmann Prize 2026
- Next date: September 17, 2026, Kunsthaus Zurich
Frequently asked questions about Wolfgang Tillmans
What is the next confirmed date for Wolfgang Tillmans?
The Roswitha Haftmann Prize ceremony takes place on September 17, 2026 at Kunsthaus Zurich, according to e-flux and ArtReview.
What did Wolfgang Tillmans receive in 2026?
He received the Roswitha Haftmann Prize 2026, which carries CHF 150,000 and is awarded for lifetime achievement.
Which recent exhibition is linked to Wolfgang Tillmans?
Regen Projects presented Keep Movin' from January 15 to March 1, 2026.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
