Celebrate with us! 20 years of the Erwin L. Hahn Institute – art meets science!

Celebrate with us! 20 years of the Erwin L. Hahn Institute – art meets science!

On May 28, 2025, the Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging will usher in new life by celebrating its 20th anniversary. This event is accompanied by an art competition entitled “ARTifact – Imaging MRI”. The competition aims to artistically reflect the last two decades of research and innovation at the institute. Students and members of the University of Duisburg-Essen, the Radboud University Nijmegen, the Ruhr University Bochum, the German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg, members of research projects with the ELH and alumni of the institute are eligible to participate.

Participants can submit their creative works in a variety of formats, including sculptures, photographs, collages, images, music and videos. The submitted works must in some way address the developments and changes of the last twenty years at the Erwin L. Hahn Institute. The best works will not only be exhibited in the ELH, but also published in the institute's 2026 desk calendar.

Honoring the artists and award ceremony

The best three works in the competition will receive prize money of 200 euros each. The award-winning works will be selected via online voting on July 4th. The final results of the competition will be announced on October 29th. This provides a valuable platform for emerging artists to showcase their work to a wider audience and gain recognition in the art scene.

The Erwin L. Hahn Institute, which was founded in July 2005 and is based in the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site in the northeast of Essen, is known for its research in the field of magnetic resonance imaging. It focuses in particular on cognitive neuroscience as well as medical diagnostics and treatment. The institute is named after the physicist Erwin L. Hahn, who made crucial contributions to magnetic resonance technology.

An outstanding feature of the institute is the 7 Tesla whole-body magnetic resonance device from Siemens Healthcare. This device makes it possible to perform structural and functional measurements of the human body with higher sensitivity than the 1.5 Tesla devices commonly used in hospitals. The institute offers both researchers and patients cutting-edge technology, which further consolidates the ELH's position in medical research.

The influence of art competitions

Art competitions, such as the current ELH competition, not only serve to promote creative talent, but also to network artists with institutions and the public. These competitions are usually organized by various organizations or galleries to discover and support talented artists. The submitted works are evaluated by a jury, which often consists of respected personalities from the art world.

Winning an art competition can represent crucial recognition for artists and offers opportunities for exhibitions, publications or even scholarships. The number of applicants for prestigious competitions is often high, and artists must make their applications coherent, appealing and comprehensive in order to be successful in the selection process.

For further information about the competition and the conditions for participation, those interested can visit the institute's website: hahn-institute.de.