Valentin Hennig

Biography

Valentin Hennig is a Berlin-based visual artist, painter, and filmmaker whose work seamlessly bridges the worlds of fine arts and experimental cinema. Hennig studied painting at the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe under Silvia Bächli and Corinne Wasmuht, later pursuing interdisciplinary design and advanced studies as a master student (Meisterschüler) in the Weißenhof Program at the State Academy of Art and Design Stuttgart. His artistic background heavily influences his cinematic approach, blending highly stylized, surreal imagery with profound philosophical exploration. Throughout his career, his video art, paintings, and experimental shorts have been featured in numerous international exhibitions and festivals, including the Max Ernst Museum, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, and the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film. He is the recipient of several notable accolades, including the Max Ernst Scholarship and the Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg Grant. His debut feature film, "The Straw that Broke" (2021), showcases his unique micro-budget, DIY filmmaking philosophy. Created over the course of five years in collaboration with multidisciplinary creatives, the retro-futuristic, meta-fiction feature premiered at the 55th Hof International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the prestigious German Cinema New Talent Award (Förderpreis Neues Deutsches Kino). It has since embarked on a multi-year screening tour across art museums and arthouse cinemas, and received the "Highly Commended" (Prädikat Wertvoll) seal from the German Federal Film Assessment Board (FBW). Hennig continues to explore the boundaries between reality, virtuality, and the canvas, working out of his studio in Berlin.