Cyprien Gaillard is awarded the Preis der Nationalgalerie für junge Kunst 2011. The Preis für junge Filmkunst goes to Theo Solnik. BMW as the exclusive partner.

Berlin , September 29, 2011 .The second jury of the Preis der Nationalgalerie für junge Kunst awarded the prize for 2011 to the French artist Cyprien Gaillard. With a sum of 50,000 euros for the prizewinner, this is the most generous prize for contemporary art in Germany. This year’s conferral marked the sixth time that this prize was awarded. Cyprien Gaillard accepted the prize yesterday evening at the Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart – Berlin in the context of a festive gala attended by numerous honored guests, including State Cultural Minister Bernd Neumann, Chairwoman of the Verein der Freunde der Nationalgalerie Prof. Christina Weiss, Director of the Nationalgalerie Udo Kittelmann and Bill McAndrews, BMW Group’s Director of Communications Strategy and Business Communication. Bill McAndrews said: “We are extraordinarily pleased that the prize of the National Gallery, with BMW’s support, has become the most important award for young artists who live in Germany. All of the artworks submitted in 2011 are challenging examples of contemporary art. Meticulous curatorial care has been given to the presentation of these artworks here at Hamburger Bahnhof. We heartily congratulate all four nominated artists and, of course, we extend our special congratulations to the prize winner, Cyprien Gaillard!”

On October 6, 2010, the first jury had nominated four artists who currently live and work in Germany as candidates for this prize: Cyprien Gaillard from France, Kitty Kraus from Heidelberg, Klara Lidén from Sweden and Andro Wekua from Georgia.

Their artworks, the majority of which were created expressly for the Preis der Nationalgalerie für junge Kunst 2011, went on display in a joint exhibition on September 9, 2011. Visitors can view the artworks and cast their votes for the audience prize until January 8, 2012. The quality and effects of the presented works were the sole decisive criteria for the decision of the jury, which consists of jurors Bice Curiger (Biennale, Venice), Ann Goldstein (Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam), Udo Kittelmann (Nationalgalerie, Berlin) and Bartomeu Marí i Ribas (MACBA, Barcelona).

From the Jury’s Statement

Cyprien Gaillard’s film “Artefacts” is an extraordinary reflection on the myths of Babylon. His film, seen in relation to the recent war in Iraq, achieves actuality. The forceful and intriguing images are meticulously edited in a certain way that causes an hypnotic effect. The effect of these images causes attention to our own cultural sensitivities. Cyprien Gaillard does not employ a strict documentary style, he rather uses the principle of montage to pose questions about the disposition and conservation of our culture. Eroding cultural artefacts are at the centre of his film. His choice for strong esthetic forms shows a filmic tonality that greatly differs from conventional media and sharpens our perception for further emotional spaces. Cyprien Gaillard has created a work of suggestive images in which the cultural and the political are inseparable.

The Preis der Nationalgalerie für junge Filmkunst

The Nationalgalerie für junge Filmkunst, which is conferred in collaboration with the German Film Academy, was awarded for the first time this year. The Academy’s presidents Iris Berben and Bruno Ganz were pleased to honor an outstanding winner: the film “Anna Pavlova lebt in Berlin” by Theo Solnik.

The Preis der Nationalgalerie für junge Kunst

The Preis der Nationalgalerie für junge Kunst was awarded for the sixth time in 2011. This prize is made possible by BMW and the Verein der Freunde der Nationalgalerie. With a financial award of 50,000 euros, the prize differs significantly from other honors in the field of contemporary art. The exhibition and the associated cultural event have established themselves as annual landmarks in the art metropolis of Berlin, and their effects are felt far beyond the gates of Germany’s capital city. An audience prize is also conferred in collaboration with the art magazine “ART.” During the balloting interval, interested members of the general public can choose their favorite artist from the four candidates for this special honor; the candidate who receives the most votes wins this special accolade. The audience prize will be awarded at the exhibition’s closing in Hamburg’s main railroad station on January 8, 2012. Throughout the duration of the exhibition, LIVE!SPEAKERS will be available on its premises on Saturdays and Sundays to answer visitors’ questions about the exhibited artworks and about the National Gallery’s prize for young art in 2011.

About BMW’s Cultural Commitment

In 2011 the BMW Group is celebrating 40 years of international cultural commitment. For 40 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in more than 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main focus of its long-term commitment on modern and contemporary art, jazz and classical music as well as architecture and design. The BMW Group has also been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last six years. In 1972, three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group's Munich headquarters. Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Olafur Eliasson, Thomas Demand and Jeff Koons have co-operated with BMW. The company has also commissioned famous architects such as Karl Schwanzer, Zaha Hadid and Coop Himmelb(l)au to design important corporate buildings and plants. In 2011, the BMW Guggenheim Lab, a global initiative of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, the Guggenheim Museum and the BMW Group will open in New York. A movable structure that will be travelling for six years from city to city from North America to Asia, the BMW Guggenheim Lab will bring together international artists and scientists and will be a public place for sharing ideas on major issues affecting urban life.

The BMW Group guarantees absolute creative freedom in all the cultural activities it is involved in – as this is just as essential for groundbreaking artistic work as it is for major innovations in a successful business.

Information regarding the BMW Group’s cultural involvement: www.bmwgroup.com/culture

The BMW Group

The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI, Husqvarna Motorcycles and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 25 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

 During the financial year 2010, the BMW Group sold 1.46 million cars and more than 110,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for 2010 was euro 4.8 billion on revenues amounting to euro 60.5 billion. At 31 December 2010, the BMW Group had a workforce of approximately 95,500 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last seven years.

For questions please contact:

Dr. Thomas Girst

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Head of Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49 89-382-24753, Fax: +49 89-382-10881

Antonia Walther

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Spokesperson Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49 89-382-10422, Fax: +49 89-382-10881

Cornelia Tiller

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49 89-382-45382, Fax: +49 89-382-10881

Media Website: www.press.bmwgroup.com

E-mail: presse@bmw.de