In order to ensure Austria's status in the arts and culture, the award aims to support particularly outstanding graduates from the art universities while they start their artist careers. With this objective, the public art universities, in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Science, initiate the A4 - Austrian Art Alumni Award programme, which grants scholarships to six graduates with excellent study background per year, to be awarded across the participating art universities. During their funding period, grant holders must implement a relevant art project, which they may realize in Austria or abroad.

The scholarship is allocated by nine jury members. Each art university holds one vote, whereas the Federal Ministry of Science appoints one jury member. Two external, independent experts nominated by the art universities are further appointed as jury members.

The first A4 – Austrian Art Alumni Award 2025 goes to Anahita Asadifar for Tracking our way through time (Photography, graduated January 2024) and Paul Takuda Chiwona for Underwaterbodies (Social Design, graduated January 2024).

Congratulations to both award recipients from the Angewandte!