The competition exhibition of the International Lucas-Cranach Prize 2015 will be opened on Saturday, July 18, in the Fürstenbau of the Rosenberg Fortress in Kronach. On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Lucas Cranach the Younger’s birth, the Cranach city of Kronach and the town of Lutherstadt Wittenberg jointly announced the art prize for the theme "Cranach 2.0" for the first time. Out of over 600 submissions, a jury selected 69 works. The two jurors from Kronach, Prof. Horst Böhm and Ingo Cesaro, chose most of the works, which were initially displayed in the Exerzierhalle in Wittenberg and have now been transported to Kronach. The International Lucas-Cranach Prize 2015 was awarded to Katerina Belkina for her work "The Sinner." Special prizes were awarded to Ralf Rassloff and Thomas Straub. The musical part of the public opening on Saturday at 3:00 PM will be provided by Christopher von Mammen. The exhibition will be open until October 31, Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. A catalog book will be available for purchase. Ingo Cesaro, who developed the concept for the International Art Prize, had organized it in 2011 for the "Regional Art Promotion Kronach e.V.," logistically supported by the event management services of the city of Kronach. He had invited Dr. Marlies Schmidt from the Cranach Foundation in Wittenberg to join the jury, with the intention of not organizing the 2015 prize alone. The idea was well received in both cities.
