Jindřich Chalupecký Award 2012

An international jury nominated five artists for the 23rd edition of the leading Czech award for visual artists under 35. The collective exhibition was held at the House of the Lords of Kunštát, one of the buildings of the Brno House of Arts. Like in the past year, Jindřich Chalupecký Award held a series of side events called 5 Finalists, 5 Months, 5 Places to present the individual finalists throughout the year. The project followed the successful model from the past edition which presented the artists in five different situations of their choice.

Finalists

The finalists of the 23rd edition of Jindřich Chalupecký Award in 2012 included Adéla Babanová, artistic duo David Böhm & Jiří Franta, Vladimír Houdek, Richard Loskot and Jiří Thýn. The artists worked in the media of video, installation, drawing, painting and photography. David Böhm and Jiří Franta were selected for the third time, as the jury appreciated their almost obsessive interest in seeking drawing in its diverse manifestations and secret forms. Jiří Thýn was selected for the second time for his formally perfect installations which are closely linked to stories and debates in art relating to the status of the (photographic) image.

See the collective exhibition here.

Award Holder

Jindřich Chalupecký Award 2012 went to Vladimír Houdek, who was “selected for the urgency with which he brings the reflectively recurring experience of art – both postmodern and neomodern – back to the canvas.” The award holder received CZK 100.000 for an exhibition, publication or a creative project of his choice and an international residency.

The Audience Award went to David Böhm & Jiří Franta.

Jury

The head of the jury was MoMA curator Christian Rattemeyer. The jury further included chief curator of Vienna’s MuMoK Rainer Fuchs, curator and chief editor of Springerin art magazine Georg Schöllhammer, curators Ondřej Chrobák, Edith Jeřábková and Mira Keratová, and artist and professor Tomáš Lahoda. The jury was the same as in the past edition.

Exhibition

The collective exhibition Jindřich Chalupecký Award – Final 2012 was held at the Brno House of Arts. In the past year, the Award organizers presented the five finalists to the public outside the Czech capital; this year, they introduced an elaborate concept of side events held in Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Hradec Králové and Bratislava.

Award Ceremony

The award ceremony of the 23rd edition of Jindřich Chalupecký Award was held at the Goose on a String Theater in Brno on November 30, 2012. Carrying the title “Who gets the award? Hommage à Václav Havel,” the program was directed by Vladimír Morávek and featured the theater’s ensemble and the Sex Beatles band.