Four artist have been shortlisted for the 2026 Volkskrant Beeldende Kunst Prijs (Volkskrant Visual Art Award): afra eisma, Levi van Gelder, Sondi, and Malik Saïb-Mezghiche. From 13 June up to and including 2 August 2026, their work will be exhibited at Monopole, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam’s new art space.
Celebrating its twentieth anniversary in 2026, the Volkskrant Visual Art Award showcases talented artists up to the age of 35 who live or work in the Netherlands. The nominated artists have a chance of winning the jury award, including a cash prize of 10,000 euros, and/or the audience award, including a cash prize of 2,500 euros. Both prizes are made available by the Schiedam-based De Groot Fund.
For each edition the talents are nominated by scouts from a constantly changing panel of art experts. For this edition the nominations were put forward by architect and visual artist Afaina de Jong, visual artist Joep van Lieshout, director of Kunstmuseum Den Haag Margriet Schavemaker, and founder of Cultural Agency DAR Zineb Seghrouchni.
Museum director Anne de Haij: “We are always happy to offer Dutch contemporary artists a platform at Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, and at our new art space Monopole, which opened around six month ago. It is therefore wonderful that we have been able to showcase the work of these talented artists for years now, previously at the museum and this year for the first time at Monopole. After the exhibition ends, we often keep in close touch with the nominees. I am hugely looking forward to this anniversary edition with work by four promising young artists.”
afra eisma
Cheerfulness and serious engagement go hand in hand in the work of afra eisma (32). Using ceramics and textiles, afra constructs colourful fantasy worlds. Spectators are often invited to become part of these artworks.
Levi van Gelder
Fiction and reality are intertwined in the art of Levi van Gelder (30). Levi writes and produces performances, sculptures, and videos. These often feature the fictive mummy Ötza, a character performed by the artist.
Sondi
The work of Sondi (artist’s name of Sondi Rumohr, 31) can be described as gentle and dreamy, but with a message. She is inspired by heritage, technology, the African diaspora, and form of resistance. Her work consists of animations, games, installations, performances, and film.
Malik Saïb-Mezghiche
Graphic designer Malik Saïb-Mezghiche (33) creates illustrations, animations, and films that are influenced by anime, hip hop, and fantasy. His work gives expression to his conviction that culture is not a luxury, but part of daily life.
About the Volkskrant Visual Art Award
Established in 2006, the prestigious Volkskrant Beeldende Kunst Prijs (Volkskrant Visual Art Award) will be awarded for the sixteenth time in 2026. Former winners include Femmy Otten, Guido van der Werve, Evelyn Taocheng Wang, and Floris Kaayk. Held in 2024, the previous edition was won by Narges Mohammadi.
The Volkskrant Visual Art Award is an initiative of Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant. This year, the exhibition of work by the nominated artists will take place at Monopole, realized with the support of the Schiedam-based De Groot Fund. The exhibition’s curator is Lieneke Hulshof.
The four artists nominated for the sixteenth edition of the Volkskrant Visual Art Award will present their work from 13 June up to and including 2 August 2026 at Monopole. The winner of the jury award will be announced during the opening on Saturday 13 June 2026.
