Graduate show 2026: bonds

Under the title bonds, 33 Städelschule graduates will present insights into their artistic development and practice at the Trianon. Through a wide range of media and subjects, the exhibition reflects some of the most current and significant developments in contemporary art. The graduate show is a central part of Städelschule’s public program: it marks the formal completion of the students’ studies, while also offering an artistic highlight that attracts the attention of the local and international art scene alike.

In 2026, the graduate show will take place at the Trianon, an iconic building in Frankfurt’s skyline at Taunusanlage. The Trianon has established itself as a new venue within Frankfurt’s contemporary art scene, most recently hosting the House of Galleries event. The students will present their works across four floors, including in the former vault space from when the building was bank headquarters.

The title bonds playfully connects the exhibition to its location at the Trianon, situated in the center of Frankfurt’s financial district. bonds refers to the complexity of trade and economic systems from which the art market cannot extricate itself. At the same time, the artists leave their studies carrying their own bonds with them: the social and artistic moments of exchange, of loaning and returning, of shared connection and trust.

Participants
The artists are Agil Abdullayev, Benedikt Ackermann, Rund Alarabi, Alexander Beglarishvili, Lydia Belevich, Siri Black, Ana Paula dos Santos, Tornike Gognadze, Neal Hoey, Tallulah Hood, Tonia Karn, Blaykyi Kenyah, Uma Kim Gómez, Nave Knafo, Yeshin Lee, Ana Likar, Amalie Lorentzen, Chufan Luo, Tu Pham, Nina Porter, Salome Potskhverashvili, Lulu Leika Ravn Liep, John Schlecht, Jamie Shi, Kyungeun Son, Tuangsap Tasawang, Moritz Tontsch, Adrian Q. Vardi, Weronika Wysocka, Hangping Yang, Wei Yang, Laila Zaidi Touis, and Neda Zare Banadkooki.

From the classes of Monika Baer, Gerard Byrne, Dora Budor, Judith Hopf, Hassan Khan, Diego Marcon, Tobias Rehberger, Willem de Rooij, and Haegue Yang.

Curated by Deiara Semeco Kouto, Program Curator at Städelschule.

For more details on the event and educational program, visit the Städelschule website.

Hochschule für Bildende Künste–Städelschule
The Hochschule für Bildende Künste–Städelschule is an art school in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, established in 1817. It is committed to providing space for independent, experimental studio work as well as collective critical discourse through a variety of teaching formats and public programs. Students can pursue a Fine Arts program or an MA in Curatorial Studies, in cooperation with Goethe-University Frankfurt.  

Städelschule distinguishes itself through its intimate class size and international student body, as well as being an art school with an adjoint exhibition institution—the Portikus, founded in 1987 by former rector Kasper König. The Städelschule’s distinguished faculty includes artists, art historians and cultural theorists such as Monika Baer, Daniel Birnbaum, Gerard Byrne, Barbara Clausen, Isabelle Graw, Hassan Khan, Philippe Pirotte, Tobias Rehberger, Willem de Rooij, and Haegue Yang.