Film London Jarman Award: six artists shortlisted for 2016 prize

Six artists have been shortlisted for the 2016 edition of the Film London Jarman Award for UK-based artist filmmakers.

Creating works that range from complex installations to single-screen films, the artists nominated for the £10,000 prize are: Sophia Al Maria, Cécile B. Evans, Shona Illingworth, Mikhail Karikis, Rachel Maclean, and Heather Phillipson.

The winner, who will be announced on 28 November 2016 at Whitechapel Gallery, will also have the opportunity to produce a new moving image artwork for Channel 4’s Random Acts arts strand.

Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, described the shortlisted artists’ work as “a riotous explosion of colour, sound, skill and distinctive imagery” that embodies “some very serious, thought-provoking messages”.

The shortlisted artists create a wide variety of work including Al Maria who explores globalised culture through a mixture of YouTube rips and home movie-style footage.

Evans’ films feature animations with highly stylised avatars that speak with each other and to the viewer with simulated voices, including the ghost of Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Illingworth’s films combine the imagery of landscapes with the experiences of people who have been through life-changing events. Karikis, whose work was shown at this year’s Whitstable Biennale earlier this month, creates immersive installations that continue his long-standing investigation of the voice as a sculptural material.

Phillipson houses her video work in vast playful sculptures that feature plastic dogs on trampolines, wheelbarrows, and giant feet.

Maclean, who is representing Scotland at the 2017 Venice Biennale, is known for her bizarre and nightmarish CGI-created worlds filmed in candy colours, with all the characters played by the artist.

The jury for the 2016 edition of the award, which is inspired by the filmmaker Derek Jarman, featured: Iwona Blazwick OBE, director, Whitechapel Gallery; Andrea Lissoni, senior international film curator at Tate Modern; Pegah Farahmand, editor, Random Acts, Channel 4; Adam Chodzko, artist; Emma Morris, executive director, Towner Art Gallery; and  Joanna Hogg, filmmaker.

Previous winners of the Jarman Award, now in its ninth year, include Luke Fowler (2008), Emily Wardill (2010), James Richards (2012), John Smith (2013), Ursula Mayer (2014) and Seamus Harahan (2015).

From 2 October to 20 November 2016, the Jarman Award touring programme will see screenings and events at 11 venues in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This will culminate with a weekend of screenings, Q&As and performances at Whitechapel Gallery on 19-20 November.

Images:
1. Mikhail Karikis, Children of Unquiet, film still
2. Sophia Al Maria, The Future Was Desert Part I, film still
3. Cecile B Evans, Hyperlinks, film still
4. Heather Phillipson, COMMISERATIONS, film still
5. Shona Illingwroth, 216 Westbound 5, film still
6. Rachel Maclean, Feed Me, film still

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