With a more stringent selection procedure, with fewer artists showing more works, a greater focus is put on painting. This is the tenth edition of the Carnegie Art Award for the most prominent Nordic artists. The touring exhibition, Carnegie Art Award 2012, is featuring 17 Nordic artists selected in tough competition between 127 nominees.
The jury has awarded Finnish artist Heikki Marila (b. 1966) the first prize of 1 million SEK (EUR 110.000). Marila is showing an impressive series of paintings where his characteristically flowing, expressive style is channelled into contemporary versions of the symbolically-laden 17th century Dutch floral still-lifes.
The Second Prize of 600,000 SEK (EUR 66.000) is awarded to Ann Edholm (b. 1953), Sweden, participating with monumental works with strongly graphic and geometric elements and a veritably sculptural approach to painting. The third-prize winner Christian Schmidt-Rasmussen (b. 1963), Denmark, is awarded 400,000 SEK (EUR 44.000). With his figurative and unexpected painterly imagery, Schmidt-Rasmussen mixes the quotidian with the poetic and quirky, revealing that things are not always what they seem to be. The grant of 100,000 SEK (EUR 11.000), directed to a young artist, is awarded toKlara Lidén (b. 1979), Sweden. With simple, found materials and means, Lidén reflects on and searches for alternative perspectives on everyday life in works surging with compressed energy.
The exhibition will be inaugurated and the awards presented on 17 November at the Stenersen Museum in Oslo. The exhibition will then tour in the Nordic countries.
The major exhibition reflects what is happening right now within contemporary painting on the Nordic art scene. The participating artists 2012 are:
Stig Baumgartner, FI
Hildur Bjarnadóttir, IS
Heimir Björgúlfsson, IS
Per Inge Bjørlo, NO
Cecilia Edefalk, SE
Ann Edholm, SE
Ditte Ejlerskov, DK
Andreas Eriksson, SE
Henriette Heise, DK
Klara Lidén, SE
Heikki Marila, FI
Jarmo Mäkilä, FI
Heli Rekula, FI
Ragna Róbertsdóttir, IS
Stein Rønning, NO
Christian Schmidt-Rasmussen, DK
Kjell Torriset, NO
Exhibition tour Carnegie Art Award 2012:
The Stenersen Museum, Oslo, 18 November, 2011 – 29 January, 2012
The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, Stockholm, 16 March – 13 May, 2012
Amos Anderson Art Museum, Helsinki, May – August, 2012 (dates to be announced)
Sophienholm, Lyngby/Copenhagen, 28 September – 8 November, 2012, (dates to be confirmed)
The participating artists and prize winners are selected by the Carnegie Art Award Jury, chaired by Tuula Arkio, Counsellor for Cultural Affairs, Helsinki. Gunnar J. Árnason, lecturer at the Icelandic Academy of the Arts, and philosopher, Reykjavik, Mikkel Bogh, Rector at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Stian Grøgaard, Professor at the Academy of Fine Art, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, and Ann-Sofi Noring, Co-Director at Moderna Museet, Stockholm together with Isabel Carlos, Director, CAM – Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, make up the 2012 Jury.
The artists and the works in the exhibition the Carnegie Art Award 2012 are thoroughly presented in the book Carnegie Art Award 2012 that will be released in conjunction of the opening in Oslo in November 2011.
The Carnegie Art Award was established in 1998 by Carnegie Investment Bank AB to support distinguished artists in the Nordic Countries and promote contemporary painting. The Carnegie Art Award is today one of the world’s largest art awards.
The Carnegie Art Award was launched in 1998 by Carnegie Investment Bank AB to give recognition and support to skilled Nordic artists and promote cotemporary painting.
Carnegie Art Award
SE-103 38 Stockholm
Visiting address: Regeringsgatan 56
artaward@carnegie.se
*Image above:
Photo by Johann Bergenholtz
© Heikki Marila