Michael Beutler Wins Nam June Paik Award 2026 for Paper Workshop Installation
The Nam June Paik Award 2026, endowed with €25,000 and presented by the Kunststiftung NRW in collaboration with Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen, has been awarded to artist Michael Beutler. Beutler is recognized for his site-specific installation 'Tapetenwechsel (Change of Scenery)', which transforms a late 19th-century industrialist villa into a multi-story workshop. The project processes waste paper—including old books and catalogs—into pulp using specially constructed apparatuses, creating long paper webs that redecorate the villa's rooms. Machines, tools, and production processes remain visible, making material transformation tangible. The work merges industrial and artistic production.
Key facts
- Michael Beutler wins Nam June Paik Award 2026
- Award is endowed with 25,000 Euros
- Award presented by Kunststiftung NRW in collaboration with Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen
- Installation titled 'Tapetenwechsel (Change of Scenery)'
- Installation transforms a late 19th-century industrialist villa
- Waste paper is processed into pulp using specially constructed apparatuses
- Paper webs are created to redecorate rooms
- Machines and tools remain visible on site
Entities
Artists
- Michael Beutler
Institutions
- Kunststiftung NRW
- Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen
Locations
- Gelsenkirchen
- Germany