Startpoint 2017

Prize for european art graduates
39 schools, 17 countries

Curatorial team

Pavel Vančát
Project curator

Marcel fišer
Director, GAVU Cheb, Project coordinator

Lucia Gavulová
Slovak national gallery, Bratislava

Radek Váňa
Curator, Amsterdam

International jury

ADAM BUDAK
CHIEF CURATOR, NATIONAL GALLERY, PRAGUE

FONS HOF
DIRECTOR, ART ROTTERDAM ART FAIR

LOLITA JABLONSKIENE
DIRECTOR, NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, VILNIUS

SEAMUS KEALY
DIRECTOR, SALZBURGER KUNSTVEREIN

ADAM MAZUR
CURATOR AND EDITOR, SZUM MAGAZINE, WARSAW

Organizer

Nadační fond současného umění
Havlíčkova 118/5
Brno, 602 00, Czech Rep.

POSTAL ADRESS
StartPoint Prize
Dukelských Hrdinů 500/25A
170 00 Praha 7, Czech Rep.

Pavel Vančát
Project Curator

Alžběta Cibulková
Production

The largest and most prestigious competition for the graduates of European art academies will be held from 19 October to 10 December at the Trade Fair Palace of the National Gallery in Prague. The curatorial team has selected 25 finalists from 39 schools and 17 countries, all of whom are personally invited for the installation and opening. On the opening day of October 18, the international jury, consisting of curators and directors of major European institutions, will jointly select the holder of the main prize and several honorary mentions that include a residency stay in Prague during the following year. In addition, the winner will be provided with funds for the production of his/her own catalogue. All participants are also presented in the project‘s catalogue and its website.

StartPoint was founded in 2003 at the Klatovy Gallery / Klenová Gallery, since 2009 the award was accompanied by a Started residency programme for awarded artists. Since 2010 is StartPoint Prize an independent prize and from 2015 it is a regular part of the autumn programme of the Trade Fair Palace of the National Gallery, but also produces smaller selective exhibitions in other cities (Bucharest, Gent, Bratislava, Amsterdam). Starting this year, StartPoint is backed by the Fund for Contemporary Art, which also manages the renowned Richard Adam Collection.

The StartPoint Prize is unique not only for its long tradition and span, but also for its independence, where the academies hold only a minority consulting vote. It does not even determine the medium, technique or theme, the most important criterion is the novelty and originality. Its main purpose lies in finding a fresh look at the most recent emerging art across Europe and in its promotion and popularization.

During the fifteen years of StartPoint‘s existence, hundreds of artists have passed through, many of which are respected stars today, and all of them together create a unique geographical and temporal cross-section of European contemporary art in its freshest form.

PROGRAMME

18.10 – 10.12.2017
FINAL EXHIBITION, TRADE FAIR PALACE, NATIONAL GALLERY IN PRAGUE

18.10.2017
Launch of the catalogue of Hannah Anbert

9.3.2018
STARTPOINT 2017 SELECTION, ARTI ET AMICITIAE, AMSTERDAM

The project has been supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and by the City Hall of Prague.