Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle is pleased to share that Rüdiger Schöttle has been honoured with the FEAGA Lifetime Achievement Award 2026. Presented by the Federation of European Art Galleries Associations, the award recognises his exceptional contribution to contemporary art and nearly six decades of commitment to artists and artistic discourse. Art historian, curator and museum director Chris Dercon delivered the laudatio.
Founded in Munich in 1968, Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle has established itself as one of Europe's leading galleries for contemporary art. Throughout its history, the gallery has presented numerous artists with their first solo exhibitions in Germany, and in some cases their first solo exhibitions altogether. Among them are Dan Graham, Jeff Wall, Rodney Graham, Karin Kneffel, Anri Sala, Thomas Schütte, Jenny Holzer and Günther Förg. In the 1970s, the gallery played a significant role in the presentation of Concept Art, exhibiting artists including On Kawara and Lawrence Weiner. Questions concerning the relationship between art and reality, conceptual inquiry and the reflection upon artistic contexts continue to form a common thread throughout the gallery programme, extending across generations and media, echoed by artists such as Goshka Macuga, Leiko Ikemura, David Claerbout, Stephan Balkenhol, Martin Creed, Florian Süssmayr and Helene Appel. Since the 1980s, the Düsseldorf School of Photography has been a particular focus of the gallery, with artists such as Thomas Ruff, Candida Höfer and Thomas Struth. Alongside longstanding collaborations, the gallery has continuously fostered emerging positions and remains committed to new approaches in contemporary art, presenting artists including Toulu Hassani, Thu-Van Tran, Elif Saydam and Raphael Weilguni.
The FEAGA Lifetime Achievement Award honours an enduring legacy shaped by artistic vision, intellectual curiosity and a sustained dedication to supporting artists and advancing contemporary art.