Essl Art Award CEE 2013 – It’s that time again…

Curators Johanna Langfelder and Viktoria Tomek are looking forward to the first nominee nights of the Essl Art Award CEE

Our enthusiasm for art and the great interest in the vibrant young art scene of Central / Southeast Europe make us leave behind our office in the beautiful ESSL MUSEUM to hit the road again. The first station of our journey Monday 13th is Ljubljana from where we will continue via Zagreb to Budapest and finish our first week’s itinerary in Bratislava. Together with Agnes Essl and the jury members we’re out to find the most outstanding young artists among the Nominees who were pre-selected in an online-voting by the jury in November/December 2012.

Martin Mrzljak (Winner ESSL ART AWARD CEE 2011, Croatia), Dance to…(Detail), 2010, Essl Private Collection, © the artist, photo: Siniša Uštulica

But yet we are not ready to go since the days before the Nominees’ Exhibitions of the Essl Art Award are usually the busiest: Final preparations have to be arranged and last minute changes to be considered before the team of the ESSL MUSEUM can travel South to meet the Jury for the opening night in Ljubljana.

Since the beginning of 2013 we have been in touch with 80 artists from 8 countries, which means a lot of work, questions and especially a lot of e-mail correspondence. It has been an intensive process but now we cannot wait anymore to get to see the artworks in the original and meet the artists.

Once arrived at the exhibition venue, the full jury group will come together to select the two award-winners directly on site. As appearance can be deceptive and art’s full potential is only revealed in the original, I’m sure we will experience some surprises!

We are prepared for heated discussions and constructive talks and are sure it definitely won’t be an easy decision to choose the two winners per country of the ESSL ART AWARD among the many great works.

We are looking forward to the first round of openings in Ljubljana, Zagreb, Budapest and Bratislava and will frequently keep you updated on the latest news and events on FB and in this blog.

Information: Essl Art Award CEE 2013 Folder (english) 

Where you can meet us and see young art from Central- and Southeastern Europe:

SLOVENIA, NOMINEES´ NIGHT, 13 May 2013

Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova – MSUM, Maistrova 3, SI-1000 Ljubljana
Exhibition: May 13 – May 26, 2013
Nominees: Dan Adlešič, Anamari Hrup, Andrea Knezović, Eva Lucija Kozak, Gregor Maver, Ziva Petric, Matej Stupica, Sasa Sustar, Valérie Wolf Gang, Jure Zrimsek

 CROATIA, NOMINEES´ NIGHT, 14 May 2013

Muzej Suvremene Umjetnosti Zagreb (MSU), Avenija Dubrovnik 17, HR-10000 Zagreb
Exhibition: May 14 – June 02, 2013
Nominees: Vanja Babić, Anja Jelaska, Leona Kadijević, Ana Kovačić, Margareta Lekic, Mario Leko, Jelena Lovrec, Petra Mrša, Stjepan Šandrk, Marita Stanić

 HUNGARY, NOMINEES´ NIGHT, 16 May 2013

Hungarian House of Photography – in Mai Manó House, Nagymezõ utca 20, H-1065 Budapest-Terézváros
Exhibition: May 16 – June 09, 2013
Nominees: Bence Bálint, Gábor Kristóf, Kitti Gosztola, Olga Kocsi, Kund Kopacz, Bettina Nem, Máté Pacsika, Dora Pelczer, Kata Száraz, Dia Zékány

SLOVAKIA, NOMINEES´ NIGHT, 17 May 2013

Galéria MEDIUM, Hviezdoslavovo nám. 18, SK-814 37 Bratislava 1
Exhibition: May 17 – June 10, 2013
Artists: Janka Duchoňová, Dominik Hlinka, Jana Kapelová, Ján Kekeli, Marcel Mališ, Adam Šakový, Ivana Šáteková  , Denisa Slavova, Monika Stacho, Zuzana Žabková

SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE ESSL ART AWARD

Supporting Art in Eight Countries of Central- and Southeastern Europe

Established by the Austrian art collectors Agnes and Karlheinz Essl and conferred in close co-operation with experts, museums and art academies, this award is dedicated to the discovery and support of talented art students in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia and also for the first time in Turkey. The award reflects the commitment of the Essl family to the support of young art and provides a significant stimulus to the European cultural sphere. Thus one main goal of the ESSL ART AWARD is to offer a broad and multi-layered insight into the young art scene of Central and South-Eastern Europe.  Initiated in 2005, the award is conferred every two years and bestowed for the fifth time in 2013.

Nominees’ Exhibitions in eight countries

From more than 500 entries by art students, an expert-jury of experienced art-specialists short-lists ten nominees in each country. At the so called Nominees’ Nights, taking place in May 2013 in a main city of each respective country, the jury selects the winners of the ESSL ART AWARD CEE 2013 directly on site. Two artists in every participating nation will receive the coveted ESSL ART AWARD CEE. Moreover the Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein – VIG’s main shareholder – will award the “VIG Special Invitation” to one of the two winning artists in each country.

Winners’ Exhibition at the ESSL MUSEUM

From 06 Dec 2013 to 02 March 2014 the 16 selected winners of the ESSL ART AWARD CEE get the chance to take part in the >ESSL ART AWARD Exhibition / >Transceding Cultures <. In addition the eight winners of the VIG Special Invitation will showcase their work in an exhibition at the Ringturm-building in Vienna.