This year’s Baltic Young Artist Award has come to an end and on 15th November winners were announced at the ceremony in Riga. According to international jury’s decision, main prize went to Katrina Čemme from Latvia. Public Choice prize went to Laura Motiejunaite from Lithuania. Together, there was 78 participants from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. All participating artworks can be seen here: http://balticyoungartistaward.eu/ .
The main prize winner Čemme were awarded with monetary prize of 2000€ and also an opportunity to take part of ArtVilnius art fair, Tallinn Art Week 2018 and hold her personal exhibition at Latvian National Museum. In spite of her young age, Čemme has already taken part of important exhibitions at the museums in Latvia and the winning work “What is Lost is Lost Forever” has been presented at Contemporary Art Centre Riga. The winner of public voting, Motiejunaite were awarded with monetary prize of 500€. Her work is called “Textile and Jewellery Synergy in Contemporary Jewellery Collection”.
At the ceremony in Riga was the key note speaker Björn Geldhof, who is a well-known curator, art director of Pinchuk Centre and also a jury member by the competition of Future Generation Art Prize. Also many discussions about the future of Baltic art took place.
Baltic Young Artist Award gives a great overview about the situation in Baltic art scene. In addition to classical techniques as painting and graphics, there also many artworks of performance and installations. Last year the winner of jury prize was Juhan Soomets from Estonia, who got many good opportunities to present his artwork in Estonia and internationally.
The initiators of the award are contemporary art platform NOAR.eu and the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation (LMoCAF), founded by the ABLV Charitable Foundation and the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation, in cooperation with Art Academy of Latvia, Estonian Academy of Arts and Vilnius Art Academy. Intenational jury members were Milja Liimatainen (Kiasma, FI), Kaspar Vanags (LMoCAF/ABLV Foundation, LV), Aušra Trakšelyte (Vilnius Academy of Arts, LT), Helena Demakova (LMoCAF/ /Boris and Inara Teterev Foundation, LV), Andris Vitolinš (Latvian Art Acadmey, LV), Keiu Krikmann (Estonian Academy of Arts, EE) and Andra Orn (art organisation NOAR.eu, EE).
Katrina Čemme. What is Lost is Lost Forever. 2017
Laura Motiejunaite. Textile and Jewellery Synergy in Contemporary Jewellery Collection. 2017
Photos: Katrina Čemme winning artwork “What is Lost is Lost Forever”, source: author; Laura Motiejunaite winning work “Textile and Jewellery Synergy in Contemporary Jewellery Collection”, source: author.
