Berlin based artist Gernot Wieland has been announced as the winner of the 20th edition of the Mostyn Open. The Llandudno gallery has awarded the artist £10,000 in prize money for his video Thievery and Songs, 2016.
The tragicomic and humorous work is framed by the story of a dancer, Hilde Holger, who had to flee from Austria into exile in Bombay in 1938 because she was Jewish.
Commenting on what impact the award will have, Wieland said: “I’m delighted that my work has been recognised by such well-known and respected curators, it means a lot to me.
“My work is often created as part of a collaborative process and I would to thank those who worked with me on this piece. This award will support me to make a new body of work.”
Wieland was chosen from 27 exhibiting artists who were selected from over 600 submissions in response to an open-call. The wide geographical spread of participants included artists located in Belgium, Holland, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, China, Australia, USA and the UK.
The full list of selected artists is: Sarah Bernhardt, David Berweger, Rudi Bogaerts, John Bourne, Manuel Caldeira, Alex Edwards, Matteo Fato, Joe Fletcher Orr, David Garner, Mitchell Kehe, Eli Keszler, Ilona Kiss, Jadranka Kosorcic, Catherine Large, Alyona Larionova, Sophie Lee, Gal Leshem, Jessica Lloyd-Jones, Laura Malacart, Oliver McConnie, Tom Milnes, Yelena Popova, Louise Short, Andrew Stooke, Tom Verity, Gernot Wieland and Driant Zeneli.
This year’s selectors were: Lydia Yee (chief curator, Whitechapel Gallery), Chus Martínez (curator and head of the Institute of Art, FHNW Academy of Arts and Design, Basel), Alfredo Cramerotti (director, Mostyn), and Adam Carr (visual arts programme curator, Mostyn).
In a statement the selectors said: “Gernot Wieland’s accomplished and complex work stood out for the panel, specifically for the way in which it creates a narrative around the human condition and how it examines the place of the individual in society.”
In addition to the main prize, there is a further prize of £1,000 for the Audience Award. This is given to the artist receiving the most votes from the visiting public during the exhibition’s run. The winner will be announced before the exhibition closes in November 2017.
The Mostyn Open was first launched in 1989, with artists of any age in any location able to submit work. Previous winners include Milan-born artist Serena Porrati in 2015 and Glasgow-based artist Stuart Middleton in 2013.
The Mostyn Open 20 runs until 5 November 2017. www.mostyn.org
Image:
1. Gernot Wieland, Thievery and Songs (Still Frame), 2016. Courtesy the artist
More on a-n.co.uk:
Pictures of… works selected for Mostyn Open 20
A Q&A with… Emma Hart, artist with an eye on the domestic
Becoming an ACE NPO: six visual arts organisations on what difference it will make
