The BLOOOM Award by WARSTEINER recently reached it's final deadline for entries for this year. We spoke with one of the esteemed judges, Walter Gehlen, about what it takes to judge a competition of this scale and what to expect this time around.

Hi Walter! So tell us how your'e feeling now that all the entrants for the the BLOOOM Award by WARSTEINER are in?
I am very excited about the selection of the jury this year. There are so many extraordinary pieces on the list. The jury meeting is always a great highlight of my year. The jury members come from different fields of expertise, but share an unmistakeable sense of quality. All of them have their own professional perspective towards art. The outcome of the jury session is always convincing and the result of intense and challenging discussions. I really enjoy that!

When you look at all the work as a whole, what's your impression of the standard?
I am very impressed about the quality of the applications.  It once again shows that the BLOOOM Award by WARSTEINER is an important premium art award in these days. According to the quality of entrants the art world seem to recognize this award to be a big chance for an artist career. I am happy that the award managed to create a surprisingly well known platform for artists from so many fields of the creative industry.

How do you think it's going to be different from last year?
Artists seem to become more confident to also apply with big installations and projects. Obviously a lot of people saw the spacious and museum-like presentation of the BLOOOM Award by WARSTEINER last year, and realised how effectivly it created attention for the finalists.

When will we find out who are the finalists for the 'Dutch winner' and can we expect anything surprising there?
The jury will select the "Dutch Winner" within the same jury session. As I already know about the great quality of the Dutch applications I am sure that the "Dutch Winner" will be a fantastic highlight amongst the German finalists of the BLOOOM Award by WARSTEINER.

What are the characteristics you are looking for from a potential winner?
We are looking for people who dare something, who like crossing borders. Art should be a challenge for both, the recipient and the artist.