An empty wall in the Cafeteria at Mensa am Park had long been waiting to be filled with life. With the modernisation of the Cafeteria in summer 2024, it was the ideal time to redesign this space too. The Studentenwerk Leipzig wanted ‘art in construction’, which was to be created by students from the neighbouring Academy of fine Arts (HGB).
The competition
As part of a cooperation between the HGB and Studentenwerk Leipzig, a competition was launched in 2024 for HGB students to develop an artistic concept for the Cafeteria.
The two-stage competition began in June 2024, with ten students submitting their initial designs within three months, five of which made it through to the second round. They were given a further two months to develop their designs before the jury – consisting of representatives from the HGB, the student union and external art experts – assessed the final works on 13 January 2025.
The work ‘Again and again’ by Ida Lovis Hüsing, who has been studying painting and graphic art at the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig since 2022, was able to prevail. Her work combines a blue-grey wall painting with an installation of clay plates that echo the lines of the underlying picture in shades of yellow, orange and red. The result is a multi-layered composition that constantly opens up new perspectives.
Hüsing impressed the jury with her originality, aesthetics and creative approach and received prize money of 4,000 euros. In summer 2025, she realised her concept in the HGB studio; the work was installed in the Mensa am Park at the end of August. The opening ceremony with the artist took place on 16 October.
The jury
The jury was faced with the challenging task of choosing a winner from many impressive submissions.
Special thanks to Kati Liebert, a teacher at the HGB, who took over the coordination on the part of the university and provided the students with professional support during the competition. We would also like to thank the jury members Olga Vostretsova, Kati Liebert, Ilse Lafer, Mandy Gehrt, Kay Lotte Pommer, Isabell Hörle, Nick Gesell and Tina Krenkel for their commitment and expertise!
Jury member Ilse Lafer on the winning artwork:
“The cross-media project combines wall paintings in pale shades of blue and grey with an installation of painted ceramic plates in shades of orange. The plates take up the forms of the hybrid figure depicted, creating a gridded, three-dimensional assemblage that oscillates between abstraction and figuration, image and object. The work is characterised by its reference to space and invites the viewer to constantly explore new perspectives.”
Gallery on the creation of the artwork
