The candidates for the Prize of the Nationalgalerie for Young Art 2011 have been nominated: Cyprien Gaillard, Kitty Kraus, Klara Lidén and Andro Wekua. Official announcement of shortlist at BMW Kurfürstendamm.

Berlin. In the year 2011, the Prize of the Nationalgalerie for Young Art will be awarded for the sixth time. The following four candidates have been nominated for the shortlist and their names will be announced tonight at a big party at BMW Kurfürstendamm held in connection with the opening of the Art Forum Berlin.Cyprien Gaillard, Kitty Kraus, Klara Lidén and Andro Wekuaare the artists who will compete next year for the Prize of the Nationalgalerie in a group exhibition in the Hamburger Bahnhof museum. All four candidates are living and working in Berlin and have accepted the nomination.

The nominated artists were chosen by the first jury from a long list of more than 100 names. The long list resulted from recommendations by a large number of European museum directors and curators as well as from proposals submitted by members of the Verein der Freunde der Nationalgalerie. The decision of the jury reflects the international orientation of the art scene in Germany and emphasises once again the diversity of artistic production in Germany. Four positions, in particular, have been selected which were noted to present new and radical approaches. The four artistic methods of working have in common an impressive pictorial or spacious modus of presentation, into which the respective concepts or topics are embedded. With their work Cyprien Gaillard, Kitty Kraus, Klara Lidén and Andro Wekua have already left their mark in the art world. They are, however, largely unknown to the wider museum audience. 

The seven members of the jury were: Mechthild Holter (founder of the agency, ‚players’), Dr. Gregor Jansen (director, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf), Burghart Klaußner (actor and director), Chus Martínez (senior curator, Macba, Barcelona), Dr. Christiane Meyer-Stoll (keeper, Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein), Dr. Matthias Mühling (head of collections, Lenbachhaus Munich) and Rein Wolfs (director, Kunsthalle Fridericianum Kassel).

For the first time, two members of the Deutsche Filmakademie had joined the jury (M. Holter and B. Klaußner). The reason for this extension is the new co-operation between the Nationalgalerie and the Deutsche Filmakademie, which is aiming at fostering a closer link between the two media of art film and cinematic art. Jointly, a new honour has therefore been established which is specifically dedicated to cinematic and film art: the Prize for Young Film Art. It will be awarded for the first time next year in the Hamburger Bahnhof museum at the same time as the Prize of the Nationalgalerie for Young Art.

The exhibition showing works of the four artists nominated for the Prize of the Nationalgalerie for Young Art will open in September 2011. The decision on the award-winner 2011 will be made by a second jury. The winner will be announced on September 27, 2011, during a ceremony in the Hamburger Bahnhof museum.

With an endowment of 50,000 Euro the Prize of the Nationalgalerie is still one of most highly remunerated awards in contemporary art. The Prize focuses on young important positions of the present. It is open to female and male artists from all countries currently working in Germany and under 40 years old.

The Prize of the Nationalgalerie for Young Art was awarded for the first time in the year 2000 and is thus celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.

As usual, the long-standing partner, BMW, organised the shortlist party to announce the nomination of the four artists.

BMW: Cultural Involvement in Berlin

The BMW Group and Berlin have been connected by a diverse cultural partnership for many years. The cooperation covers a variety of projects throughout the cultural field.

Apart from the Prize of the Nationalgalerie for Young Art, BMW has been promoting the workshops for young curators of the Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art since 2006. On top of that, the 16th BMW Art Car of artist Olafur Eliasson was created in Berlin.

Since 2007, there is a cooperation with the State Opera House Unter den Linden for the successful format “State Opera for all”. Other than that, BMW promoted young.euro.classic, the youth orchestre meeting; since 2010, the company is newly involved with the Berlinale, the Berlin International Film Festival.

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

Further information and picture material to download is available from our web site at www.preis2011.de 

The BMW Group

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The BMW Group achieved a global sales volume of approximately 1.29 million automobiles and over 87,000 motorcycles for the 2009 financial year. Revenues totalled euro 50.68 billion. At 31 December 2009, the company employed a global workforce of approximately 96,000 associates.

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