Sondermann Prize Gala 2026

About this event

The Sondermann Prize is the most prominent award for comic art in the German-speaking world, handed out annually by the Sondermann e.V. at Frankfurt's Caricatura Museum. For its 2026 edition, the jury has chosen two artists whose work blends meticulous craft with unsettling humour: Frank Kunert, a photographer who builds elaborate miniature worlds that look serene at first but reveal lurking absurdity and dread upon closer inspection, and Olrik Kohlhoff, a painter whose idyllic 1930s-style garden scenes slowly dissolve into contradictions and dark comedy through subtle visual twists. The award ceremony itself is a show, not a stiff gala. Journalist and Titanic editor Tim Wolff hosts the evening, while the lineup includes performances by Sondermann stipend holder Julia Kubik, veteran Stern cartoonist Til Mette, and satirist Hans Zippert, known for his deadpan prose and sharp wit. Live music will also fill the museum's first floor, creating a relaxed, convivial atmosphere – think of it as a club night for people who love drawing, wordplay, and things that are funny in a slightly off-kilter way. Admission is free, and the event is open to everyone; you just show up. Since the venue is intimate, it's wise not to come at the very last minute. The evening is conducted in German, so some language fluency helps, but the visuals alone carry the spirit. Whether you come with friends, on a date, or alone, you'll leave with a smile and perhaps a new appreciation for the comic imagination.