Startpoint 2018

Prize for european art graduates
28 schools, 14 countries

Project Curator

Pavel Vančát
Project curator

Jury Members

Marcel fišer
Director, GAVU Cheb

Lucia Gavulová
Slovak national gallery, Bratislava

ADAM MAZUR
CURATOR AND EDITOR, SZUM MAGAZINE, WARSAW

HEMMA SCHMUTZ
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, LENTOS KUNSTMUSEUM, LINZ

Radek Váňa
Curator, Amsterdam

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.

CO-ORGANIZERS

HOUSE OF ARTS, BRNO
4+4 DAYS IN MOTION, PRAGUE

THE STARTPOINT PRIZE, DEDICATED TO ART SCHOOL GRADUATES, HAS EVOLVED DURING ITS SIXTEEN YEARS OF EXISTENCE FROM A NATIONAL SHOW OF DEGREE‘S WORKS TO A PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL PROJECT, ANNUALLY INTRODUCING THE MOST OUTSTANDING TALENTS OF EMERGING ARTISTIC GENERATIONS FROM VARIOUS EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. PRESENTLY, IT COVERS NEARLY 30 PRESTIGIOUS ACADEMIES FROM 14 COUNTRIES AND IS THE LARGEST EUROPEAN SHOW OF ITS KIND.

INSTEAD OF ONE ENORMOUS OVERVIEW, THIS YEAR WE ARE PLANNING A WHOLE SERIES OF EXPOSITIONS: AFTER THE OPENING EXHIBITION AT THE HOUSE OF ARTS IN BRNO WE ARE PREPARING A PERFORMATIVE POP-UP PRESENTATION WITHIN THE 4 + 4 DAYS IN MOTION FESTIVAL IN PRAGUE IN OCTOBER 2018; FOR THE SPRING OF 2019 WE ARE PLANNING REPRISES IN AMSTERDAM, ANTWERP AND TOULON. THE WINNER OF THE PRIZE GETS A COMPLETE PRODUCTION OF HIS/HER SOLO CATALOGUE AND TOGETHER WITH OTHER AWARDED ARTISTS A ONE MONTH RESIDENCY IN PRAGUE DURING THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

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

Brno 13.9.–29.10.2018
Dům pánů z Kunštátu

Prague 5–13.10.2018
4+4 DAYS IN MOTION, Desfourský palác

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