How can exhibitions make complex subjects accessible, open up new perspectives and encourage visitors to reflect? The twelve shortlisted projects offer very different answers. Their themes range from mental health, fair working conditions and social participation to climate change, regional identity, money, puppetry and traditional crafts.

The shortlist highlights the diversity of exhibition design and the innovative strength of the museum and exhibition sector. The expert jury assessed the submissions based on criteria including innovation and creativity, design quality, sustainability, accessibility and inclusion, interactivity and participation, and the ability to engage visitors.

“The strong response and the quality of the submissions have shown us just how much creative energy and professional expertise there is in the museum and exhibition sector,” says Constantin Strobel, Project Director of MUTEC. “The nominated projects make complex subjects accessible, open up new perspectives and encourage people to engage with important issues. At MUTEC, we will showcase and recognise these approaches.”

The Twelve Shortlisted Projects

• Wie geht’s? Die Ausstellung über mentale Gesundheit [How Are You? An Exhibition About Mental Health]
  Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden [German Museum on Hygiene]
  Exhibition design: Jana Beckmann / studio flex; Rebecca Wenzel; studio other types
• Mein Geld & Ich (My Money & Me)
  German Bundesbank’s Money Museum, Frankfurt am Main
  Exhibition design: molitor GmbH
• Forgotten by Fortune – Compulsory Welfare Measures in Bern and Switzerland
  Bernisches Historisches Museum, Bern [Historical Museum Bern]
  Exhibition design: Karin Bucher; Tanja Rietmann; interdisciplinary project team of the BHM
• Puppetry – Game of Life
  KOLK 17, Lübeck
  Exhibition design: Hanna Kropp and Demirag Architekten; Markus Braun and Demirag Architekten
• Von Babylon bis zum Mond [From Babylon to the Moon]
  LWL-Museum Ziegelei Lage [The Brickworks Museum]
  Exhibition design: filamente GmbH; Playing History GmbH
• Kant Museum – Ein sinnliches Gedankengebäude für Alle [Kant Museum – A Sensory World of Thought for Everyone]
  Ostpreußisches Landesmuseum [East Prussian State Museum] | Kant Museum, Lüneburg
  Exhibition design: Sunder-Plassmann & Werner Szenografie GmbH; Sunder-Plassmann Architekten; Bureau Stabil; Stefan Helling; Taucher Sound Scenography; men@work
• Winter in Vienna. The Vanishing of a Season
  Wien Museum
  Exhibition design: Carol Kofler; Larissa Cerny
• CARE! Wenn aus Liebe Arbeit wird [CARE! When Love Becomes Work]
  Museum der Arbeit, Hamburg
  Exhibition design: ConstructLab Berlin
• LABOUR LAB – Spielraum für gerechte Arbeit [LABOUR LAB – Exploring Fair Work]
  Museum Arbeitswelt, Steyr [Museum of Work]
  Exhibition design: Museum Arbeitswelt; Ars Electronica Solutions; Studio SMESH
• Eine Stadt oder meine Stadt? [A City or My City?]
  Stadtmuseum Oldenburg [Oldenburg City Museum]
  Exhibition design: GfG / Gruppe für Gestaltung; Marthe Trottnow, Joshua Walter, Tanja Büsching, Asja Beckmann, Nadine Ahlers, Siena Jakobi, Carsten Koralewski
• Glitzer [Glitter]
  Museum für Kunst & Gewerbe Hamburg [Museum of Arts and Crafts]
  Exhibition design: TheGreenEyl; Rimini Berlin
• Frauen machen Männel [Women Make Little Men]
  Museum für Sächsische Volkskunst, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
  Exhibition design: Irene Pätzug; Veit Pätzug

Award Ceremony at MUTEC

The jury's final selection will be announced on Friday, 6 November 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at the MUTEC Forum in Hall 4. Three equally ranked awards, each carrying prize money of €1,500, will recognise outstanding achievements in museum and exhibition design.

Join us for the award ceremony and discover the ideas and concepts shaping the museums of tomorrow!