Jindřich Chalupecký Award 2017

The five finalists of the 28th edition of the Czech Republic’s most prestigious award for visual artists up to the age of 35 were selected by an international jury. The winner of this year’s edition was selected by a new set of jurors who will retain their role for the next two editions. Besides representing leading international art institutions, other criteria for their choice included emphasis on geographic diversity, diversity of opinion as well as gender balance.

Finalists

The finalists of the 29th edition of Jindřich Chalupecký Award 2017 include: Romana Drdová, Dominik Gajarský, Martin Kohout, Richard Loskot a Viktorie Valocká. 

See the Final exhibition here.

Award Holder

The holder of JCHA 2017 is Martin Kohout. The international jury has accentuated his informed and multilayered approach. “He tries to find the space for individual stories that hold an ambiguous position and highlights the alienating and the creative aspects of technology. Portraying our intimate relationships in a world where they seem to be lost, Kohout brings in a private dimension, redefining what creativity is in today’s society,” said the jury in a collective statement.

The Audience Award went to Richard Loskot, who already was in the Award Final in 2012 and 2014.

Jury

The winner of this year’s edition was selected by a new set of jurors who have taken up their role for the next three years. Besides representing leading international art institutions, other criteria for their choice included an emphasis on geographic diversity, diversity of opinion as well as gender balance. The jurors suggested that they would consider possible interventions in the concept of Jindřich Chalupecký Award. “As for the future, the jury wants to follow Jindřich Chalupecký’s legacy and reflect his own ambivalence to the principle of an award as such. We feel responsible to revisit the concept of the award during our three years’ mandate and help to stimulate the discussion on contemporary art.” 

The jury is presided by the director of the Modern Gallery in Ljubljana Zdenka Badovinac and further includes director of the National Museum of Montenegro and Artyčok.TV Vjera Borozan, artist and head of the Studio of Body Design at the Faculty of Visual Arts at the Brno University of Technology Lenka Klodová, curator and executive director of New York’s Art in General Laurel Ptak and independent curator and departing director of SALT art center in Istanbul Vasif Kortun. The artistic director of Ostrava City Gallery PLATO Marek Pokorný is concluding his three years’ period on the jury. 

Exhibition

The collective exhibition of Jindřich Chalupecký Award Final 2017 was held at the Moravian Gallery at Pražák Palace in Brno. The international guest was Clemens von Wedemeyer who introduced his solo project Vermin of the Sky in parallel with the exhibition.

Award Ceremony

The award ceremony was held at Scala Cinema in Brno and was directed by Czech Lion Award and European Film Award holder Tomáš Luňák. 

Watch the award ceremony on the ČT Art channel here.