Overview
Image credit: Marti Friedlander, Gordon
Walters.
What is the Walters Prize?
The 2010 finalists
How are the finalists
selected?
The Jurors
What the Jury had to
say
Who makes the final
decision?
The Judge
Who do you think will win?
Dan Arps - is The Walters Prize 2010 awardee.
What is the Walters
Prize?
The Walters Prize is New Zealand's most prestigious contemporary
art prize. This biennial award recognises an artist who has made an
outstanding contribution to contemporary art in New Zealand in the
two years prior. Named in honour of artist Gordon Walters, it was
established by founding benefactors and principal donors Erika and
Robin Congreve and Dame Jenny Gibbs to make contemporary art a more
widely recognised and debated and prominent feature of New Zealand
cultural life.
Since its inception in 2002, winning artists have been Yvonne
Todd (2002), et al. (2004), Francis Upritchard (2006) and Peter
Robinson (2008). Each received $50,000, plus the chance to travel
to New York and exhibit at Saatchi & Saatchi headquarters.
The
2010 finalists
Dan Arps: Explaining Things shown at Gambia Castle,
Auckland (7-24 December 2008)
Watch an interview with Dan
Fiona Connor: Something Transparent (please go round the
back) shown at Michael Lett, Auckland (15 April - 16 May 2009)
Watch an interview with Fiona
Saskia Leek: Yellow is the Putty of the World shown at
Ivan Anthony Gallery, Auckland (25 November - 23 December 2009)
Watch an interview with Saskia
Alex Monteith: Passing Manoeuvre with Two Motorcycles and 584
Vehicles for Two-Channel Video shown at ST PAUL St, Auckland
(19 June - 7 July 2008)
Watch an interview with with Alex
How are the finalists
selected?
A jury of experts have been observing exhibitions around the
country since the last announcement. They met for the first time
early this year to decide the four 2010 finalists.
The Jurors
Jon Bywater - Programme Leader, Critical Studies at Elam School
of Fine Art, The University of Auckland.
Rhana Devenport - Director, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New
Plymouth
Leonhard Emmerling - Visual Arts Adviser, Goethe Institute,
Munich, Germany, former Director, ST PAUL St, AUT University
Kate Montgomery - Director, Physics Room, Christchurch
What the Jury had to say
"The five projects or bodies of work we have selected for the
Walters Prize 2010 were chosen for what they have in common. As the
Prize's criteria stipulate, they are considered to be the most
outstanding contributions to contemporary New Zealand art shown in
the time since the last Prize was shortlisted. At the same time,
however, they are quite unalike. They offer notably different kinds
of pleasures and puzzles, and have been created through contrasting
artistic approaches. This highlights a key challenge of our task as
jurors, which has been to remain alert to what impacts in a
valuable way on the practice and reception of New Zealand art.
Mediated by debate, our collective sense of what constitutes
artistic excellence agreed on the diverse successes of each
project."
Who makes the final
decision?
The finalists work is exhibited at the Gallery and, on the basis
of this exhibition, an international judge selects the winner.
Previous judges have included Harald Szeemann, Robert Storr,
Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, and Catherine David.
The Judge
Auckland Art Gallery is delighted to announce that highly
respected former-director of London's Tate Modern, Vicente Todoli
will judge the Walters Prize 2010 and announce the award winner on
8 October.
Vicente was director of London's Tate Modern from 2003-2010. He
was a prime mover in the Tate's global success - now the most
visited modern art museum in the world. From 1989-96 Todolí was
artistic director for The Valencia Institute for Modern Art (IVAM),
Spain, and before it opened he was their Chief curator. Throughout
his distinguished career he organised and curated internationally
renowned exhibitions of work by contemporary artists, making him
the perfect choice to be this years judge.
Who do you
think will win?
Vote for your favourite finalist to put them in the running for
the People's Choice 2010. Click
here to vote
Join conversations about the Walters Prize 2010 in The
Neighbourhood. Our community lounge for discussion, debate and
sharing of information and ideas.
See the Walters
Prize forum
Founding benefactors and principal donors
Erika and Robin Congreve
and Dame Jenny Gibbs
Major Donor
Dayle Mace