Villa Aurora Fellows 2026
by VATMH Berlin
The juries of the Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House Association and the independent selection committees of its partner organizations have nominated fifteen new fellows for a three-month residency at the Villa Aurora artists' residence.
Literature
In the Literature section, author Helene Bukowski ("Da fehlt noch Salz", 2024), author Yannic Han Biao Federer ("Für immer seh ich dich wieder", 2025), and comic artist Aisha Franz ("Mantequilla", 2024) were nominated.
The literature jury consisted of Dr. Tanja Graf (director of the Literaturhaus München), Enis Maci (writer and former Villa Aurora fellow), Prof. Dr. Christian Metz (Germanist and critic), Beate Tröger (critic and journalist), and Senthuran Varatharajah (writer and former Villa Aurora fellow).
Film
In the Film section, screenwriter Feo Aladag (“Die Fremde”) and Jasmila Zbanic (“Blum: Masters of Their Own Destiny” 2024), as well as screenwriter Irene von Alberti (“Die geschützten Männer” 2024) were nominated. Directors Ayşe Polat ("Blind Spot", 2023) and Sara Summa ("Arthur&Diana", 2025) were selected for the two scholarships funded by the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.
The film jury consisted of Uisenma Borchu (author, filmmaker, and former Villa Aurora scholarship holder), Ingo Fliess (film producer and university professor), Veronika Grob (head of film funding at Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH), Constantin Lieb (screenwriter and former Villa Aurora fellow), and Verena Lueken (author, journalist, and film critic).
Composition/Music
In the Composition section, the jury selected composers Joanna Bailie (“City Lines” 2025) and Chantal Michelle (‘Manipulations’ 2025), as well as composer Oscar Bianchi (“Pozzanghere I mezzo seccate” 2023).
The jury for the composition category consisted of Dahlia Borsche (Director of the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program), Prof. Joy Calico (musicologist), Cathy Milliken (composer, performer, and former Villa Aurora fellow), and Alex Ross (journalist at The New Yorker).
The Musicboard scholarship was awarded to Masha Qrella (“Songbook,” 2025) in a separate selection process.
Visual Art
In the Visual Arts section, photographer Akinbode Akinbiyi (“Being, Seeing, Wandering” 2024) and artists Monilola Ilupeju (“The Wishing Well” 2025) and Marianna Simnett (“Charades” 2025) were selected.
The jury for the visual arts category consisted of Elena Agudio (director of Villa Romana in Florence), Stef Heidhues (artist and former Villa Aurora fellow), Alistair Hudson (director of the Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe), Nadia Ismail (director of the Kunsthalle Giessen), and Julian Rosefeldt (artist and former Villa Aurora fellow).
As Villa Aurora is still undergoing extensive fire restoration work, it is unfortunately not yet possible to give a date for its reopening. It is currently unclear when exactly the newly selected fellows will be able to begin their stay in Los Angeles.
Launch of the Villa Aurora Off Campus Program
Starting in fall 2025, Villa Aurora will launch a limited off-campus program: 2025 fellows whose residencies have been postponed due to the aftermath of the Palisades Fire will live and work at the premises of VATMH partner organizations during their stay. The host organizations include the Wende Museum, the 18th Street Arts Center, the Galka Scheyer House (Blue Heights Arts and Culture), and the Thomas Mann House.
The first off-campus scholarship recipients to travel to Los Angeles will be Rebecca Racine Ramershoven for a residency at the 18th Street Arts Center and Saskia Warzecha for a stay at Galka Scheyer House (both starting in October 2025).
Today's artist residency Villa Aurora is the former exile home of the German-Jewish writer Lion Feuchtwanger and the salonist Marta Feuchtwanger in Los Angeles. Every year, Villa Aurora awards scholarships to artists in the fields of visual arts, composition, film, and literature for a three-month stay at the villa.
The residency program at Villa Aurora is funded by the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
As an independent and non-partisan intermediary of the Federal Republic of Germany, Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e. V. promotes intellectual and cultural exchange between Germany and the United States of America.