The finalists for the 2017 Absolut Art Award for Art Work and Art Writing have been announced. The 2017 Jury was led by Daniel Birnbaum, Director of Moderna Museet, Stockholm. The selected shortlist of six artists and five art writers for the Art Work and Art Writing categories were respectively chosen from a total of 49 nominated artists and art writers.
Working with this year’s jury has been a rare adventure – Jury President Daniel Birnbaum, Director of Moderna Museet, Stockholm
Each of the finalists will now prepare a proposal for an artwork, project or art publication unencumbered by commercial restraints for consideration by the distinguished 2017 Jury. Winners in each category will be announced on 12 May 2017 during the Vernissage of La Biennale di Venezia – 57th International Art Exhibition, followed by an award ceremony in September 2017 in Stockholm, Sweden to honour the winners.
2017 Absolut Art Award Finalists:
Art Work: Simon Denny, Anne Imhof, Shahryar Nashat, Cameron Rowland, Anicka Yi, Samson Young
Art Writing: Huey Copeland, Johanna Fateman, Orit Gat, Isabelle Graw, Shanay Jhaveri
“Working with this year’s jury has been a rare adventure” says, Jury President Daniel Birnbaum, Director of Moderna Museet, Stockholm. It was such a privilege to have this group of extremely knowledgeable critics and curators locked in a room for days knowing that they were not allowed to leave until they had selected a group of artists who they truly believed to be the most important working today. It was a difficult decision, and in the end, we selected six finalists rather than five in the artwork category as we felt strongly that all six deserved the opportunity to submit proposals for their dream project. To also select a number of writers, who push the boundaries of what art writing can be today, turned out to be just as challenging. I think they did a terrific job and I can’t wait to lock them in again for the final round. What torture! What a feast!” He added.
“Daniel and the 2017 Jury have selected a fantastic group of finalists, with diverse multidisciplinary practices and far-reaching interests. We are thrilled that there are six finalists for the Art Work category, and the hard decision the Jury faced demonstrates the high caliber of nominees this year. We look forward to reviewing the proposals in both categories and eagerly await the winners’ announcement in May”, says Saskia Neuman, Global Art Manager, Absolut.
With over 30-years of collaborations with the likes of Andy Warhol, Rosemarie Trockel and Keith Haring and with Art Bars popping up all around the world (most recently in Ibiza, Berlin, Copenhagen, and Bogotá), an infatuation with the art world remains as strong as ever. The Absolut Art Award first appeared in 2009 it’s been a way to acknowledge the activities and creations of the most exciting visionaries of our time. A little more unique than most awards, it provides a unique opportunity to bring dream projects to life – with absolutely no commercial restraints. The winner of the Absolut Art Award for artwork receives a cash prize of €20,000 and a budget of €100,000 to produce and exhibit a new work or project. The winning art writer is awarded a cash prize of €20,000 and a stipend of €25,000 to be used towards the research and production of a new art publication.
39 nominees were selected in the Art Work category by the 2017 Nominators. The 2017 list includes artists from emerging contemporary art hubs such as India, Ghana, Iran, South Korea and Bangladesh as well as areas with firmly-established art scenes. Nominees range in age from 24 to 52 and comprise recognised artists who are established in their field, as well as young emerging artists. Ten art writers from across seven countries have been selected in the Art Writing category, with ranging backgrounds, experience, and research interests. This element of the prize continues our longstanding support of the development of critical theory and nurturing artistic discourse.
Photo: Simon Denny Serpentine by P C Robinson © Artlyst 2017