John Akomfrah named winner of the Artes Mundi 7 prize

Published: 27 January 2017 | by Arts Reporter
John Akomfrah named winner of the Artes Mundi 7 prize
UK, contemporary-artist John Akomfrah has been chosen from a shortlist of 6 of the world's most important artists to win the UK's leading prize for international contemporary art, Artes Mundi 7.

Ken Skates AM, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, announced John Akomfrah as the winner of the biennial award, with a prize sum of £40,000, at a ceremony held at National Museum Cardiff.

John Akomfrah's work often explores the global diaspora, history, memory, colonialism and its legacy through lens-based media.

The range of single and multiscreen films allows us to reconsider the ways in which we think about both personal and collective histories, the grand narratives of our times, across nation states and continents.

His work has often given voice to underrepresented communities and their universal stories told through the creation of sublime imagery, and evocative and immersive soundtracks.

In Auto Da Fe (2016) Akomfrah specifically uses the aesthetics of a period drama to consider the historical and contemporary causes of migration; in this work he focuses on religious persecution as a major cause of global displacement.

The subtle historical references combined with its sumptuous costumes, locations and sets, allude to the reality of migration and persecution that has taken place throughout the centuries.

The film brings together 8 interconnected mass migrations which have taken place during the past 400 years beginning with the little known 1654 fleeing of Sephardic Jews from Catholic Brazil to Barbados.

Auto Da Fe then continues to reveal many more examples of displacement throughout history and in the present day for example migrations from Hombori, Mali and Mosul, Iraq.

The landscape in which this work was filmed is deliberately ambiguous in an attempt to reflect the universal and ongoing nature of these stories.

As in other recent works such as Tropikos (2016) and Vertigo Sea (2015) the ocean plays an important role – it is an intermediate zone between the past and present, local and global and holds the memories of all those individual and collective journeys.

John Akomfrah winner of Artes Mundi 7 has said, "I am absolutely touched by this and enormously grateful for the chance it offers to finally finish off something I have been planning for over a decade.

"Over the years, Artes Mundi has chosen some very brilliant artists for this award: all were important artists doing challenging and engaged work, and to join that group is a huge honour and responsibility."

Karen Mackinnon, Artes Mundi Director has said, "We are delighted to announce John Akomfrah as the winner of the seventh biennial Artes Mundi Prize.  

Artes Mundi champions leading contemporary artists, from across the world, whose work relates to every aspect of our personal lives in a global society.

Artes Mundi's focus on the human condition finds a unique resonance in these uncertain times. We want to thank our panel of judges for their sensitivity, thoroughness and intellectual rigour in selecting the winner.  

The judges felt that all the shortlisted artists showed outstanding work. However the prize is awarded not just for the work in the exhibition but for the continued excellence of their practice over the past 8 years.

The Artes Mundi 7 Prize was awarded for Akomfrah's presentation of Auto Da Fe and for a substantial body of outstanding work dealing with issues of migration, racism and religious persecution. To speak of these things in this particular moment feels more important than ever."

Oliver Basciano, Artes Mundi 7 Judging Chair has said, "We are excited to award John Akomfrah the Artes Mundi7 prize in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to art over the past eight years.

"We do so in recognition of both his newly-presented work Auto Da Fe (2016) and in appreciation of the artist's ability to tell stories with historical depth, exploring social and political concerns through exquisite cinematic language in films such as Peripteia (2012), Unfinished Conversation (2013), Vertigo Sea (2015).

"Over his long career, Akomfrah's practice underlines how art has the unique ability to reflect on and shape the human condition, in alignment with fundamental principles of Artes Mundi."

John Akomfrah's work alongside the other shortlisted works are on display at National Museum Cardiff and Chapter until 26th February.
- Artes Mundi 7
Tags: ArtesMundi7, art, award,

You Might Also Like...

Leave a Comment

Most Recent Posts

Retro-Mega-Mas' Immersive Christmas Experience
A Christmas show filled with nostalgia containing 80's memorabilia. ...
Fun, Fashionable, Sustainable: Clothes Swapping Event
A new sustainabilty clothing event in Caerphilly coming up.On the 23rd...
Anthem: Platform Making a Career in Music Accessible for Youngsters
Young aspiring Welsh Musicians, here is the platform you need to kick...
Study Shows that Vaping Can Help You Quit Smoking
Cigarette smoking or tobacco smoking involves burning of tobacco...
Rat Boy perform in Cardiff as part of UK Tour
Rat Boy thrilled the Cardiff crowd at the TramShed on the 5th of...
Highlights from the Printwear & Promotion LIVE! 2018
The UK's only dedicated event for the garment decoration in...
Printwear & Promotion LIVE! 2018 returns to NEC, Birmingham
Printwear & Promotion LIVE! 2018 returns a month earlier than ...
London Fashion Week Festival 22-25 February 2018
Staged in London Fashion Week venue: The Store Studios, 180 Str...
Fashions Finest AW/18 back on 17-18 February 2018
Fashions Finest, a platform for UK and international emerging d...
Pure London, 11-13 February 2017, Olympia London
Pure London, set for 11-13 February 2017, offers the best place to ...
Swahili Fashion Week 2017 highlights
Swahili Fashion Week is the biggest and largest annual fashion event...
Call for Story Friday submission for 'Home' theme, deadline 26th Febru
We had a great time at a very scary Story Friday Haunting recently, ...
Another Third World Hussle releases video for 'Get Money'
Another Third World Hussle (ATWH) is pleased to announce the release ...
Ragnar Kjartansson returns to Wales with a new performance
Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson will return to Wales to present a...
Throwback Thursdays: Hellavagirl at Fashions Finest 2016
Re-live past events during our Throwback Thursdays series where we sho...
Fashioned from Nature Exhibition to open at the Victoria and Albert Mu
The first UK exhibition to explore the complex relationship between ...
Throwback Thursdays: Gia Viviana Dimicova at Fashions Finest 2016
Re-live past events during our Throwback Thursdays series where ...
Kalibe, with its unique sound, breaks the mould in world music
Globalisation has meant that the world is getting smaller and we a...
Throwback Thursdays: Biblos Glasgow
Re-live past events during our Throwback Thursdays series where we sho...
Spend an evening with Ruth-Ellen and Friends
October's edition of #REAF will feature live performances and an inte...
Throwback Thursdays: Pure London January 2017
Re-live past events during our Throwback Thursdays series where we sho...
Dru Hill featuring Sisqo, 112 and Ginuwine embark on UK Tour
Dru Hill, the American R&B quartet led by Sisqo, are heading to...
Akon announces 2017 UK tour dates
Rapper will be joined by the Konvict Kartel for seven shows acr...
Founder of The fashion Webb gives tips on creating engaging online con
Mitchell Webb is the founder of The Fashion Webb fashion & life...
Pure London kicks off with 'oriental futures' themed catwalk
Pure London kicked off with a catwalk show featuring the 'oriental f...
Once Upon a Time in Shaolin: The untold story coming soon
Valerie Brandes and Laure Deprez of Jacaranda Books have acquired O...
Watch exclusive behind the scenes on Wax Print Film
Fashion designer Aiwan Obinyan has released some exclusive behind th...
The British Style Collective kicked off its 3 day event in Liverpool o
After more than 30 years based at the National Exhibition Centre in B...
eNaledge releases new single featuring Mercy
The Northern Hussle (TNH) and Another Third World Hussle (ATWH) fou...
Colour Clash set to return to Newport, July 15 2017
Colour Clash is set to return to Rodney Parade in Newport, Wales on ...