At the end of 2019, her large LED light sculpture the ‘Wervel’ was opened in the parking garage of the Groningen Forum. Assmann is fascinated by the immaterial and elusive character of light, whereby colours and synesthesia play a large role in her work.

The independent jury -consisting of Maria Verstappen, artist and winner of the 2013 Prize together with Erwin Driessens, Arie Altena, publicist at V2_, and Robbert Roos, Director of Kunsthal KAdE- was especially impressed by the beauty of Nicky Assmann’s work and how, with the aid of technology, she manages to create engaging sensory experiences that enchant and surprise the observer.

Assmann graduated in 2009 at the Bachelor ArtScience and in 2011 at the Master ArtScience of the ArtScience Interfaculty embedded on both the Royal Conservatoire & Royal Academy of Art in The Hague.

In previous editions, the prize has been awarded to amongst others, ArtScience Interfaculty members such as Dick Raaijmakers, co-founder and former tutor at the Interfaculty en Sonology/Composition dept (postuum, 2011) and Edwin van der Heide, alumnus and former co-head and tutor of the Interfaculty (2009) as well as to many guest tutors, connected to the Interfaculty ArtScience such as Geert Mul (2010), Driessens & Verstappen (2013), Zoro Feigl (2018) and Evelina Domnitch & Dmitry Gelfand (2019).