Evens Prize for Visual Arts 2009

In 2009, the Evens Foundation decided to award its Prize for Visual Arts to a young artist who lives or works in the European Union, and whose work is closely related to the Evens Foundation's mission and objectives.

The jury was chaired by Ernest Van Buynder, Board Member of the Evens Foundation and former chairman of the MuHKA Museum for Contemporary Art in Antwerp (Belgium).

The selection committee and jury

• Manuel Costa Cabral: Head of the Department of Visual Arts at the Gulbenkian Foundation (Portugal)
• Bart De Baere: Director of MuHKA Museum for Contemporary Art, Antwerp (Belgium)
• Prof Dr Willem Elias: Dean of the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussels; Chairman of the Higher Institute for Fine Arts, Flanders (HISK) (Belgium)
• Yoyo Maeght: Administrator at the Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul (France)
• Paolo Naldini: Director of Cittadellarte - Fondazione Pistoletto (Italy)
• Aneta Szylak: Director of the Wyspa Institute of Art, Gdansk (Poland)
• Dr Jeanette Zwingenberger: Curator and author, art historian, Fondation Hippocrène (France)

Different artists were nominated. The Board of the Evens Foundation selected Agnieszka Podgórska as the winner from a shortlist of two proposed by the jury, the second candidate being Greet Van Autgaerden.

Agnieszka Podgórska is an artist who uses digital photography. Her work portrays the human body devoid of social codes and symbolic references. It makes one aware of how the body is 'the first language' in our relationship with others, and is a prerequisite for living together. Born in Poland, Agnieszka lives in France, has worked in Italy and exhibits in Europe generally.

In May 2009, in collaboration with the Fondation Hippocrène in Paris, the Evens Foundation organized a round-table debate on the work of the artist. Click here to see the video.

The prize-giving ceremony took place at the University of Antwerp on 13th November 2009.

The Evens Foundation also produced a publication featuring the artist's work, as well as selected work by the other candidates.