Jindřich Chalupecký Award 2018

The five finalists of the 29th edition of 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 an old-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 2018 include: Alžběta Bačíková, Lukáš Hofmann, Tomáš Kajánek, Kateřina Olivová and Adéla Součková.

See the Final exhibition here.

Award Holder

The holder of JCHA 2018 is Lukáš Hofmann. After much deliberation, the jury has decided to give this year’s edition of the Jindřich Chalupecký Award to Lukáš Hofmann for addressing distinct, substantial and emancipatory positions. “We selected Lukáš for the installation and extraordinary performance that lay bare the anxieties of the world his generation inherits, his exploration that defies normativity, linear history and a future blueprint. His work speaks of fragility and intimacy with the unfamiliar while drawing from a plethora of sources without creating hierarchies between them.”

The Audience Award went to Alžběta Bačíková.

Jury

“As for the future, the jury wants to follow the legacy of Jindřich Chalupecký and reflect his ambivalent approach in the very principle of the Award presentation. We feel responsible to rethink the concept of the Award during our three-year mandate and help spark a debate on contemporary art.”

The award holder was selected by an international jury comprised of representatives of leading international art institutions. These included head of the jury Laurel Ptak, curator and executive director of Art in General in New York, Vjera Borozan, director of Artyčok TV, Lenka Klodová, artist and head of the Studio of Body Design at the Faculty of Visual Arts at the Brno University of Technology, Vasif Kortun, curator and Research and Programs Director of SALT (2011–2017) in Istanbul, Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, founder and artistic director of SAVVY Contemporary in Berlin, and Michal Novotný, director of FUTURA Center for Contemporary Art in Prague.

Exhibition

The collective exhibition of Jindřich Chalupecký Award – Final 2018 was held at the Korzo of the Trade Fair Palace at the National Gallery Prague. This year’s guest of Jindrich Chalupecky Award 2018 exhibition was a Romanian artist Alexandra Pirici.

Award Ceremony

The award ceremony of the 29th Jindřich Chalupecký Award was held at Studio Hrdinů at the Trade Fair Palace on December 12, 2018.
The ceremony was directed by Czech Lion and European Film Award holder Tomáš Luňák and broadcast live by the Czech Television.
Watch the award ceremony on the ČT Art channel here.