News
N S Harsha wins third £40,000 Artes Mundi Prize
The prestigious Artes Mundi Prize has been awarded to Indian artist N S Harsha, it was announced this evening at National Museum Cardiff. The £40,000 Prize was awarded to Harsha by Jack Persekian, Chairman of the Judging Panel and Chinese artist Xu Bing, also a judge and the winner of the first Artes Mundi Prize in 2004.
N. S. Harsha is a skilled story teller, combining details of everyday life in his native India with world events and images we have seen on the news. He has turned the Indian tradition of miniature painting into a form that enables him to mix the specific with the universal. He uses it to draw our attention to the whimsical, the absurd as much as the tragic and to the internationally significant. He could be described as an artist / philosopher and without judgement, enables us to reflect on the world around us.
“The panel of judges acknowledged the work of all the artists and found coming to a decision extremely challenging” said Jack Persekian. “We based our decision on the artists’ work over the last 5-8 years and were particularly interested in work that added to our understanding of humanity and the human condition.
In awarding the prize to N S Harsha, the panel were impressed by the scope of his work and its range and variety of approach, from painting and installation to community activities. Basing his work upon his locality, cultural traditions and the shifting world of today, Harsha engages and connects with an ever broadening public. The panel stressed the strength of the exhibition at National Museum Cardiff and admired the outstanding presentations by each of the shortlisted artists.
The Prize Awarding ceremony, sponsored by St David's 2, was attended by nearly 200 people from the international arts and business communities. Rhodri Glyn Thomas, Wales’ Minister for Heritage said "I am delighted to congratulate N S Harsha on receiving this prestigious prize. It is a significant achievement and I hope the prize will prove of great benefit. The Artes Mundi Prize is an important initiative that brings together artists from across the world to engage in cultural debate and it is one of the highlights in Wales' cultural calendar." Sir Robert Finch, Chairman of Liberty International, also congratulated the winning artist and Artes Mundi. “This exciting Exhibition and Prize adds a powerful vibrancy to Cardiff and as a sponsor, St David’s 2 is delighted to be part of this cultural development in the city.”
Awarded every two years, the £40,000 Artes Mundi Prize is the largest international art prize in the UK and one of the largest art prizes in the world. It recognises outstanding emerging artists from around the world who discuss the human condition. This is the third Prize. Xu Bing won the first Artes Mundi Prize in 2004 and Eija-Liisa Ahtila was awarded the second Prize in 2006.
Video Wednesdays at Gallery Espace to start in July 2008
New Delhi based Espace Gallery will start a special session for contemporary video art from July 2008 onwards. This program titled ‘Video Wednesdays at Espace’ is a part of the gallery’s reach out programs.
The last Wednesday of every month will be completely devoted for showcasing the contemporary video works. Three artists will be invited to present their selected videos on each session. The program will start at 11 am and continue till 7 pm. A brief note on the video work and the artist will be distributed amongst the viewers. The program targets art college students and local communities.
The gallery also plans to bring out a documentation of all the videos presented as a part of the program. This book of documentation will be published after twelve months of its commencement.
JohnyML, curator and editor of www.artconcerns.com has been appointed as the curator consultant of the Video Wednesdays at Espace. Gallery Manager Shweta Bhanot will co-ordinate the program.
Those young video artists who would like to present their works at Gallery Espace may send in their works in CD or DVD format to the gallery address:
Gallery Espace,
16 Community Centre, New Friends Colony, New Delhi-25. Phone: 011-26326267.
Email: videowednesdaysatespace@gmail.com |
