Acclaimed Choreographer and Sculptor Recognized with Honors - Dancer Waltz collaborates with artist Elíasson on joint project
Architect Olafur Eliasson and choreographer Sasha Waltz were jointly honored with the Helmut Schmidt Future Prize in a ceremony at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg, Germany. The €20,000 award recognizes their significant contributions to strengthening democracy, fostering culture, and supporting a liberal society.
Eliasson, a Danish-born artist, designer, and architect, spoke on the importance of culture in democracy and shared a laugh-filled conversation with journalist Uwe Jean Heuser and Jochen Sandig, Waltz's husband. Eliasson and the audience were also treated to a brief dance performance. Sandig represented his wife, who was unable to attend due to illness, with dancer Hwanhee Hwang in her stead.
Sasha Waltz is a celebrated German dancer and choreographer, renowned for her contemporary works in dance and opera. Since founding the Berlin-based ensemble Sasha Waltz & Guests in 1993, she has expansively contributed to the contemporary dance scene. The jury praised her work, stating that it counters challenges to democracy with a search for empathy and human kindness.
Olafur Eliasson is an internationally acclaimed artist known for his large-scale installations that blend art, science, and natural phenomena. His art explores light and other natural elements, urging individuals to reflect on their role in the world and their responsibility for their surroundings.
Preceding laureates include climate activist Nakate, US AI expert Meredith Whittaker, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, and Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate. The award is presented by the weekly newspaper "Die Zeit," the Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung, and the think tank The New Institute, all based in Hamburg.
The Helmut Schmidt Future Prize acknowledges the duo's unique role in leveraging art and culture as vehicles for democratic discourse, fostering open societies, and addressing global challenges. Their work enriches public life and strengthens the underlying values that support liberal democracies.
Community policy might be introduced to encourage greater collaboration between cultural institutions like the Thalia Theater and organizations promoting democratic discourse, as demonstrated by the partnership between the theater and Olafur Eliasson and Sasha Waltz.
With their focus on fostering empathy and human kindness through contemporary dance performances and large-scale art installations that challenge individuals to reflect on their responsibilities, the recipients of the Helmut Schmidt Future Prize could inspire a shift in lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, and home-and-garden policies that prioritize community engagement and the preservation of liberal values.
