Press Releases

Artes Mundi 6 Prize and Exhibition

CARLOS BUNGA | OMER FAST | THEASTER GATES

SANJA IVEKOVIĆ | RAGNAR KJARTANSSON | SHARON LOCKHART

RENATA LUCAS | RENZO MARTENS | KAREN MIRZA & BRAD BUTLER

 

National Museum Cardiff | Chapter | Ffotogallery, Penarth

24 October 2014 – 22 February 2015


Today October 24th Artes Mundi 6 Exhibition and Prize in Cardiff opens its doors to the public, presenting a major exhibition of work from ten of the world’s most innovative contemporary artists. Artes Mundi 6 is the UK’s largest contemporary art prize, with the winner receiving the generous sum of £40,000. The prize is open to artists whose work explores and comments on the human condition.

 

The winner of Artes Mundi 6 will be announced on 22nd January 2015 at an award ceremony in Cardiff. The international panel of judges for Artes Mundi 6 is chaired by JJ Charlesworth, art critic and associate editor of ArtReview. JJ is joined by leaders in the global field of contemporary art, including Elise Atangana, Amanda Farr, Inti Guerrero and Alia Swastika.

 

This year’s prize show takes place across three venues including National Museum Cardiff, Chapter Gallery and Ffotogallery, Penarth. Highlights of this year’s prize show include the world premiere of A complicated Relationship between Heaven and Earth or When We Believe (2014) by Theaster Gates (USA), whichfeaturesa Malinese Boli, and a Masonic unicycling goatRenzo Martens (Netherlands) presents the first work from The Institute for Human Activities, in the Democratic Republic of Congo; 3D-printed, chocolate self-portraits made by Congolese plantation workers. Carlos Bunga (Portugal) premieres an architecturally-scaled site-specific cardboard installationentitled Exodus (2014).

Omer Fast’s film Continuity (2012) explores reality and idealism in America’s Afghan War. Sanja Iveković’s (Croatia) imagesGen XX and Women’s House (Sunglasses) and her installation The Disobedient (The Revolutionaries) confront fascism and sexism in 20th century Europe. The UK Premiere of Ragnar Kjartansson’s (Iceland) video installation, The Visitors (2013) looks at thefine line between parody and reality in pop culture. Sharon Lockhart’s (USA)  filmExit (2008) documents labourers at the Bath Iron Works based in Maine, USA. Renata Lucas (Brazil)  shows a new installation of her iconic interactive plywood floor Falha (Failure, 2003 ongoing). Karen Mirza and Brad Butler (UK) are showing The Unreliable Narrator (2014) and You are the Prime Minister (2014), two new installations using neon, video and text to confront the Mumbai bombings and the role of British privilege in middle-east conflict.

Karen Mackinnon, Artes Mundi Director has said, “We’re incredibly lucky to have such a strong shortlist for this year’s Artes Mundi prize, we hope that the outstanding contributions each shortlisted artist has made to the global arts agenda will inspire the British public to reconsider and use art as a vehicle for social critique and a catalyst for better understanding of the human condition.”

 

JJ Charlesworth, Associate Editor of ArtReview has said “I'm excited to see the range and depth of artistic work brought together for this edition of Artes Mundi. These are artists who believe that art can reflect on and illuminate some of the toughest and most troubling aspects of human life today, from conflict, poverty and migration, to the place of the individual in modern urban society and consumer culture. Artes Mundi's continued commitment to art that encourages us to think more deeply about the society we are part of is exemplary."

 

David Anderson, Director General of National Museum Wales has said, “We’re delighted to be hosting the Artes Mundi international contemporary art prize and exhibition here at National Museum Cardiff. It is one of Europe’s most exciting contemporary visual art shows and I’m pleased to see the exhibition extended to another two venues, Ffotogallery, Penarth and Chapter in Canton who will also be exhibiting the shortlisted artists and putting art on the map across Cardiff this winter. I hope that visitors take the opportunity to visit the exhibition and enjoy the powerful stories told by these international artists.”

 

ENDS