Victor Man (*1974 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania) is one of the most interesting representatives of the contemporary art scene. While his oeuvre is charged with personal memories, magic meaning, and references to art history, the origins of his motifs do not play a role. Man, who lives in Berlin and Cluj, draws on various sources to create a surprisingly contemporary and yet visionary art. Its power derives from its defiance of logical interpretation. In a global culture in which everything is explained and made visible, this noncompliance opens up individual artistic freedom.With its annual Artist of the Year award, the Deutsche Bank honors promising international artists who, in individual ways, have already created an independent, outstanding oeuvre that also includes works on paper and photography. Exhibition schedule: Deutsche Bank Kunsthalle, Berlin, March–June, 2014

Text by: Bogdan Ghiu, Friedhelm Hütte, Stefan Krause, Allessandro Rabottini