Essl Art Award CEE 2013 – Back in town

Text and Pictures by Viktoria Tomek

After travelling back and forth in Southeastern Europe we returned safe and sound to our office in the beautiful Essl Museum and look back on some of these precious moments…

If you might wonder what an IKEA cart has got to do with contemporary art, come to see the final exhibition >Transcending Cultures< and experience EAA Bulgaria winner Zoran Georgiev’s critical approach.

Winner Leda Vaneva among the nominees with parts of her video installation projected on her body and the cherished yellow certificate

Juror Lora Sariaslan lost in contemplation over the work of award winner Nicolae Daniel Djamo.

Award winners Daniel Nicolae Djamo (left) and Andra Nedelcu (right) at the ceremony at perceived 40° at the exhibition venue.

Eva Wirlitsch-Essl congratulating Alin Bozbiciu for receiving the Collector’s Invitation and having the unique chance to participate in the final exhibition in December at the Essl Museum

First participation of Turkey… and it was a blast….

…with a fantastic outdoor opening ceremony in front of the venerable walls of Tophane-i Amire

Winners İrem Tok and Volkan Kızıltunç

Exhibition view of the Tophane-i Amire with a large-scale photography by Collector’s Invitation winner Bashir Borlakov

Let’s find the needle in the haystack! Latest at the final exhibition in December in the Essl Musem we can get down to action in this work by Karíma Al-Mukhtarová

Czech EAA Winners Karíma Al-Mukhtarová and Viktor Takáč with Mihaly Novotny from FUTURA, a representative of the VIG, Austrian ambassador Dr. Trautmannsdorff, Eva Wirlitsch-Essl, Andreas Hoffer an Juror Jiri Svestka

It were exhausting yet exciting two weeks travelling through eight countries in only a little bit more than 10 days and we cannot wait to present you the outstanding winning positions in our final exhibition >Transcending Cultures< [06.12.2013-02.03.2014] at the Essl Museum.

Be prepared for an inventive voyage full of discoveries through all media and get in touch with the current artistic trends of  Southeastern Europe!