Natascha Sadr Haghighian has been awarded the first LVM Art Prize for Art in Public Space for her work "86° WALTER HALİT (2025)", a light installation on the roof of the Kassel Regional Council building. The piece memorializes Walter Lübcke, a politician murdered by a right-wing extremist in 2019, and Halit Yozgat, a businessman shot in his internet café in 2006 in the last murder committed by the far-right NSU group. The jury praised the work as an artistically sophisticated symbol for democracy, vigilance, and social responsibility.
The prize, endowed with a total of 50,000 euros, includes a 25,000 euro award, an exhibition on the LVM campus, and discourse events in Münster and at the work's location. This marks the first time the LVM insurance company has awarded a prize specifically for art in public space, highlighting the growing recognition of public memorials as a vital form of contemporary art. The jury's composition—including museum directors, curators, and a magazine editor—underscores the institutional validation of politically engaged public art that connects personal tragedy with broader societal issues.