Who Won Art Basel's 2024 Baloise Prize?
Left to right: Thomas von Planta, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Baloise; Tiffany Sia, winner of the 25th Baloise Art Prize; Ahmed Umar, winner of the 25th Baloise Art Prize; and Clemens Markstein, CEO of Baloise in Switzerland. Photo: Michael Hochreutene.
The Baloise Art Prize, an annual award presented by the Swiss banking and insurance group and Art Basel since 1999, announced its 2024 recipients: Hong Kong artist and filmmaker Tiffany Sia and Sudanese-Norwegian artist and activist Ahmed Umar.
The pair were selected among 18 nominees—including Cian Dayrit, Julian Abraham, Nour Jaouda, and Omyo Cho—exhibiting at Art Basel’s ‘Statements’ sector for emerging galleries, which sees more than 250 applications every year.
In addition to the CHF 30,000 cash prize (around U.S. $33,400), Baloise will acquire works by both artists, which will be donated to museums MMK Frankfurt and MUDAM, Luxembourg.
Sia is a New York-based artist best-known for videos and writings that build on her experience living in the Hong Kong diaspora. Her short video, Never Rest/Unrest (2020), for instance, compiled and presented protest footage in the city, speaking to ongoing dissent.
Born in Sudan and growing up in Saudi Arabia, Umar—an LGBTQ activist and ‘Venice Biennale breakout star’ according to Art Basel contributor Tifenn Durand—works across jewellery, sculpture, and performance, transforming materials and references to Islam into ‘poetic and spiritual forms’.
This year’s jury comprised Kunsthaus Zürich Director, Ann Demeester; MUMOK Vienna General Director, Karola Kraus; MUDAM, Luxemburg Curator/Head of collection, Marie-Noëlle Farcy; MMK Frankfurt Director, Susanne Pfeffer; and arts patron Uli Sigg, founder of M+‘s Sigg Prize.
The winners will be presented at the Baloise Studio during Art Basel (13–16 June 2024). Last year’s award went to American artist and filmmaker Sky Hopinka and Canadian performance artist Sin Wai Kin. —[O]
Main image: Left to right: Thomas von Planta, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Baloise; Tiffany Sia, winner of the 25th Baloise Art Prize; Ahmed Umar, winner of the 25th Baloise Art Prize; and Clemens Markstein, CEO of Baloise in Switzerland. Photo: Michael Hochreutene.
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