Arte Laguna Prize Winners The Enhancement of Creativity

The winner of the 16th edition is Anna Drozd-Tutaj (Poland) of the 'Sculpture and Installation' section, with the work The Power of the Element, a rare example of a work of art that uses crochet doilies to create a contemporary and spectacular composition which, despite its monumentality, retains an ephemeral character. The jury's motivation reads: "The jury selected the site-specific installation by the Polish artist Anna Drosz-Tutaj for its linearity and clean execution. It is a visual device that, through the assembly of coloured doilies, evokes the power of the elements and of the memory which compacts our emotional and logical being. Stability and dynamism, originate and original, operate as a conspiratio oppositorum in perfect harmony."

Anna-Drozd-Tutaj, The Power of the Element, 2019, 2x5x2 m, installation-view / Courtesy of Arte Laguna Prize

The winner of the 17th edition is Ohau Chen (Taiwan) with the work Back to Glory: Make_Great again from the section 'Sculpture and Installation'. Ohau Chen uses the video installation to propose a hypothetical future through the use of common political propaganda materials. The artist invites the public to cast their vote on an imaginary proposal for the militarization of the elderly population as a response to the progressive ageing of society. "The work presents a dystopian future in which the elderly are persuaded to serve the national army in preparation for an imminent war – it reads in the jury's motivation. - Though hypothetical, this condition speaks to present reality and the dread of conflict that hangs over us indiscriminately. The dilemma is clear: Whom to sacrifice? Young or old? The artist invites the public to vote. The cynicism of the work exacerbates the artist's critical stance on issues such as biopower and thanatocracy in our increasingly technocratic contemporary world. How is the human body dehumanized and exploited? What decision-making processes and governance structures are at stake? The promise of a binary democracy failed because it continued to function by presenting the illusion of free choice." The jury was impressed by the clever mix of various media and the interdisciplinary approach to the work. The artist's unique sense of humour and visual language, as well as reinventing the aesthetics and sensibility of propaganda, further convinced us to embrace his invitation to reflect on today's condition.

Installation view / Courtesy of Arte Laguna Prize

The jury chose to confer two mentions of honour, one for each edition: for the 16th edition, it goes to Kailum Graves, with the photographic work The Otherness of Self, and for the 17th edition for Chih Chiu with the performance Self-Service Barbershop. The works of Anna Drozd-Tutaj and Ohau Chen are on view until April 16 2023 in the extraordinary spaces of Arsenale Nord in Venice, together with the works of the other finalists of the Arte Laguna Prize, counting 240 works of art coming from over 50 states in the whole world.

Numerous Special Prizes were also assigned, which provide the production of works, residencies all over the world, the opportunity to exhibit in important galleries, international and Italian festivals, collaborations with companies, and monetary prizes, confirming Arte Laguna Prize as one of the most important competitions with many opportunities for the artists.

Installation view / Courtesy of Arte Laguna Prize

The Winners of Special Prizes for the 16th edition are:

Artist in Residence

• Espronceda, Barcelona: Larisse Hall

• KW Institute, Berlin: Khalil Charif

• Ru Residency Unlimited, New York: Shirin Gunny

• Art Residency Galliani, Reggio Emilia: Eleonora Monguzzi

• Fonderia Artistica Versiliese, Lucca: Federica Zianni

• Villa Roberti, Brugine: Serena Bellini

• Villa San Liberale, Feltre: Jingyun Wang

• Villa Rechsteiner, Oderzo: Luisa Turuani

Artists in the gallery

• Cris Contini Gallery, London: Jens Hesse

Art and Sustainability

• NaturaSì, Treviso: Marina Gasparini

Business for Art

• Bios Line, Padua: Vittorio Mandelli

Festivals and Exhibitions

• Art Nova 100, China: Cinzia Campolese, Emanuele Dainotti, Elise Guillaume, Samantha Heydt, Hung Yu Hao, Kiki Kouniari, Henrik Langsdorf, Angelo Morandini, Mara Palena.

Installation view / Courtesy of Arte Laguna Prize

The Winners of Special Prizes of the 17th edition

Artist in Residence

• Bigci, Bilpin, Australia: Amalia Foka

• Fabrica, Treviso: Jihyun Park

• Farm Cultural Park, Favara: Mosa One and Toma Gerzha

• Fonderia Artistica Versiliese, Lucca: Gaby Jonna

• Espronceda, Barcelona: Gilles Dusabe

Emerging Artist Award

• Anya Heymans, Hasan Kurd, Qian Wu

Business for Art

• Planium, Milan: Donatella Nobilio

• Generali Valore Cultura, Venice: Wu Siou Ming

• Roberto Cipresso, Siena: Vittorio Mandelli

• Informatic All, Padua and Treviso: Tiziana Menichelli – Sette21

• Venpa S.P.A., Venice: Karen Ghostlaw, Henrique EDMX Montanari

Artist in Gallery

• Cris Contini Gallery, London: Cristián Meza

Sustainability and Art

• Ars, Treviso: Daniel Espinosa, Silvia Canton (special mention)

Festivals and exhibitions

• Art Nova 100, China: Ronald Anzenberger, Bordage Tanguy, Andrea K. Schlehwein, Gabrielle Lansner, Ryan Andrew Lee, Jialiang Liu, Elena Mocchetti, KHU, Andy Storchenegger, Songkai Zhou

• BJCEM Mediterranea 20 – Biennal Young Artists: Davide Ronco

• Special Mention, SanithPharma: Giorgia Maria Sbaraglia

Installation view / Courtesy of Arte Laguna Prize

THE PANELS OF JURORS

16° edition:

• Kobi Ben-Meir – Chief Curator of Haifa Museum of Art (Israel)

• Louise Fedotov-Clements – Artistic Director of Quad and director of Format International Photography Festival (United Kingdom)

• Pasquale Lettieri – Curator, critic, historian, academic and journalist (Italy)

• Alka Pande – Arts consultant and curator of Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Center in New Delhi (India)

• Danilo Premoli – Architect, designer, and artist (Italy)

• Alisa Prudnikova – Founder and Art Director of Industrial Biennal of Urals (Russia)

17° edition:

• Mohamed Benhadj – Curator and founder of Altiba9 (North Africa and Spain)

• Raphael Chikukwa – Executive Director of National Gallery of Zimbabwe; Giulia Colletti – Curator of digital content and consultant of collateral activities in Rivoli's Castle Art Contemporary Museum, Turin (Italy)

• Paul Di Felice – Curator, critic and Art historian (Luxemburg)

• Chloe Hodge – Project manager of Tate Britain, curator and producer (Regno Unito)

• Dick Spierenburg – Designer and art director of IMM – International Furniture and Interiors fair in Cologne (Netherlands)

• Xiaoyu Weng – Curator and Head of modern and contemporary art for Art Gallery in Ontario (United States and Canada)

Installation view / Courtesy of Arte Laguna Prize

Datasheet

• Title: Arte Laguna Prize

• Promoted by Cultural Association MoCA (Modern and Contemporary Art)

• Under the patronage of the Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Environment and land and sea protection, Region of Veneto, Metropolitan City of Venice, Town of Venice, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, European Institute of Design

• Exhibition Venue: Venice, Nappe of Arsenale Nord, waterboard stop Bacini/Arsenale Nord

• Dates: 11 March– 16 April 2023

• Opening hours: daily 10 am - 6 pm

• Free admission, with a liberal donation to the Cultural Association MoCA