Norval Sovereign African Art Prize finalists were announced by the Norval Foundation and The Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF). 30 artists have been shortlisted for Norval Sovereign African Art Prize – the inaugural edition of an annual award for contemporary artists from Africa and its diaspora.
Finalists in the running for this year’s Prize hail from 18 countries, of which South Africa has the strongest representation, followed by Zimbabwe, Angola, Morocco, and Nigeria. A total of 336 entries were received from artists from 37 countries.
A board of 53 independent arts professionals – comprising curators and academics who work closely with artists in their respective regions – nominated 158 artists for the Prize. The 30 finalists were then shortlisted by a panel of five world-class art specialists, namely:
- Writer, curator, and museum director David Elliott;
- Exhibitions Director, Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden, Janine Gaëlle Dieudji;
- Curator, Norval Foundation, Khanya Mashabela;
- exhibition curator and contemporary art consultant, Marie-Ann Yemsi; and
- Chief Executive and Director, Design Museum, London, Tim Marlow.
The Norval Sovereign African Art Prize celebrates the practices of leading contemporary artists and aims to benefit them by further increasing their exposure to an international audience. The first prize is a cash award of R500 000 South African Rand and the opportunity for a solo exhibition at Norval Foundation in Cape Town.
Finalists Exhibition at Norval Foundation
The shortlisted artworks will be presented to the public in a Finalists Exhibition at Norval Foundation from 26 January – 28 February 2022, where visitors will be invited to vote for their favourite artist.
Together with online votes, the most popular artist will be awarded the Public Vote Prize (R25 000 South African Rand). Winners will be announced on 16 February 2022.
The Prize aims to raise significant funds for the shortlisted artists and for Norval Foundation’s Educational Programme in an equal split through an auction administered by Sotheby’s from 15 – 22 February.
Judge Quote:
“Focusing on artists working in the context of Africa and its diaspora, the expansive range of perspectives represented by the selection of finalists reiterates that Africa cannot be defined by a single narrative. The exhibition of their artworks at Norval Foundation offers visitors an exciting opportunity to gain a small sense of the extraordinary breadth of the artistic practices often grouped under the umbrella of ‘Contemporary African art’. The prize represents access to resources and a platform that so many artists in the region so richly deserve. It has been a pleasure to participate in this inaugural edition, and we hope that it is the beginning of a long and fruitful future for the NSAAP.”
WHERE: Norval Foundation, 4 Steenberg Road, Tokai, Cape Town, 7945
WHAT & WHEN: Norval Sovereign African Art Prize Finalist Exhibition – 26 January – 28 February 2022
HOURS: Mon – Sun 10am – 5:30pm. Closed on Tuesdays
INFO: T | Visit
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