The European Culture Award Taurus was handed over on Friday evening with a gala in the Dresden Frauenkirche. Prince Albert II of Monaco accepted the prize for his commitment to the protection of the oceans - before he looked around the city.
This year's winners are singer Peter Maffay, the Dresden painter Gerhard Richter, the opera singer Anja Harteros and Piotr Beczala, actor Daniel Brühl, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation with the German Sea Foundation, singer Nana Mouskouri, the Dresden Music Festival with artistic director Jan Vogler, the Semperoper Ballet and the Youth Orchestra of the European Union.
Since 2012, the bronze bull has honored people and initiatives whose outstanding achievements and achievements in Europe's cultural life are exemplary, explains the European Cultural Forum, which awards the prize. Saxony's prime minister Michael Kretschmer and Dresden's mayor Dirk Hilbert were also present at the award ceremony. The event was broadcast live on the external stage of the Frauenkirche by the MDR, and hosted around 1,500 people inside.
Except for Anja Harteros and Gerhard Richter, who justified his cancellation with an illness, all award winners personally accepted the award starting at 8.15 pm. The absent artist was honored for his archive in the State Art Drawings.
"The art of Gerhard Richter reveals in all his creative phases personal insights into his family but also political environment. An oeuvre marked by impacts and injuries, "explains gallerist Michael Schultz, member of the European Cultural Forum.
Prince Albert II of Monaco, who had traveled the furthest journey and visited the Transparent Factory with Hilbert prior to the ceremony, accepted the Taurus Culture Award on behalf of his foundation. "We would like to acknowledge the exemplary commitment to nature conservation and marine conservation," says Bernhard Reeder, Director of the European Cultural Forum. Peter Maffay receives the prize for "tireless commitment". His foundation enables disadvantaged and traumatized children vacation vacations in nature, he himself is also ambassador of the UN Decade "Biological Diversity".