THK Gallery in Cape Town, artist Jake Michael Singer, and RMB are proud to announce the launch of the Emergence Art Prize, with the winner to be announced on the August 27th on the occasion of the RMB TAF 2020.

 

Targeted, as the name suggests, at boosting the careers of emerging artists who are yet to gain official gallery representation, the prize will be adjudicated by a prestigious professional panel including and awarded at a special event during the virtual edition of the Fair. Entries from artists working in any medium will open on Tuesday July 14th and close at noon on August 14th.

The rewards and career benefits for the winner of the prize are among the most significant of their kind in the South African art world. They include a solo exhibition at sponsor gallery THK Gallery in Cape Town, a two month residency at the innovative Quartier am Hafen Studio House on the banks of the Rhine in Cologne, Germany, and an R80 000 cash prize, a portion of which will go towards airfares and a stipend while the artist is in residence.

THK Gallery and artist Jake Michael Singer, who is represented by the gallery, are the lead sponsors for the initiative. Says THK Director Linda Pyke: ‘As a gallery focused on contemporary art and on developing the careers of artists we represent, a prize of this kind is a really effective way of opening up the art market to new voices and giving emerging artists leverage in their careers. This is one reason why we invite entries from artists working in any medium, the only stipulation being that they are not represented by a gallery.’

Singer is a featured artist at RMB TAF this year. Though he works in different mediums, he is chiefly known for his sculpture, and one of his best-known pieces is Dawn Chorus, owned by RMB and a prominent feature of the bank’s landmark precinct in its Johannesburg headquarters, the Think Precinct, which hosts and makes publically accessible a number of significant sculptural pieces from the RMB collection. He agrees with Pyke’s assessment: ‘I’ve been fortunate to have had opportunities in my career, but it’s always crucial to be part of a community. An Art Prize like Emergence is a fantastic way to give back to the art community, but also a way to develop artists and markets. My sculptural work depends on a team I work closely with, and the emerging artists who will benefit from the Prize will have access to new networks and communities.’

In an economic environment which has seen the art industry more affected than most by the closure of venues and events such as exhibition openings and Art Fairs caused by the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic, the creation of a generous and significant new Art Prize such as the Emergence is a very welcome and laudable initiative.

The inaugural Emergence Art Prize 2020

• Sponsored by THK Gallery and Jake Michael Singer

• Supported by RMB

• Prize: Solo Exhibition at THK; Two month residency in Cologne, Germany; R80 000 cash prize

• Entries invited in all mediums

• Artists must be from South Africa and without gallery representation

• Entries open Tuesday July 14th

• Entries close August 14th

• Winner announced on August 27th on the occasion of the RMB TAF 2020

• Enter at: www.emergenceartprize.com