Schering Stiftung

Schering Stiftung is an independent, nonprofit foundation based in Berlin that occupies a distinctive position within the city's cultural landscape, one defined less by a fixed collection than by an ongoing commitment to the dialogue between science and art. The foundation was established in 2002 by Schering AG, then Berlin's major pharmaceutical company, later absorbed into Bayer AG, and was endowed with founding capital of 35 million euros. This origin in the life sciences continues to shape its identity, giving it a rare double focus that sets it apart from most art institutions in the city.

The foundation's mission rests on two closely related pillars, the promotion of the life sciences and the promotion of contemporary art, alongside a sustained commitment to scientific and cultural education. Central to its work are projects situated at the intersection of these fields, including exhibitions, residencies, publications and formats of dialogue that bring scientists, artists and the wider public into conversation. This interdisciplinary orientation reflects the foundation's stated aim of encouraging exchange across disciplinary boundaries and generating new impulses for society.

Since 2009, this mission has had a physical home in the foundation's Project Space in central Berlin, on Unter den Linden, which functions as a platform for experimental and emerging artistic positions and as a venue for talks, workshops and exhibitions exploring the relationship between contemporary art, science and society. In the arts, the foundation supports the contemporary visual and performing arts, including dance and contemporary classical music, with particular attention to interdisciplinary and multimedia projects and to artists working in unfamiliar or boundary crossing territory. The foundation also maintains its own art collection, housed at the Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin's Museum of Prints and Drawings.

A significant part of the foundation's contemporary importance lies in the recognition it extends to outstanding individuals in both fields. The Ernst Schering Prize, established in 1991 and awarded annually since 2003, honours achievement in the life sciences, while the Schering Stiftung Award for Artistic Research, developed from an earlier art prize presented jointly with KW Institute for Contemporary Art, recognises artists pursuing significant new directions in their work. Through these awards and its residency programmes, including recent collaborations with research institutes such as BIFOLD, the foundation continues to make visible the pioneering work of both scientists and artists.

Organisationally, the foundation is governed by a Stiftungsrat, or Foundation Council, composed of high level figures from culture, science and business, which meets twice yearly to decide on the allocation of funds, while a Vorstand manages day to day operations. As an operating foundation, the Schering Stiftung concentrates primarily on developing and realising its own projects and programmes rather than responding to open funding applications, financed through the returns on its endowment. It is also committed to the Principles of Good Practice for Foundations and to transparency regarding its objectives and use of funds, underscoring its position as a considered and accountable actor within Berlin's cultural and scientific communities.