New Prize For African Artists Is A Call For Reflection And Action

The first recipient of the Henrike Grohs Art Award, conceived by the Goethe-Institut and the Grohs family, will be announced on 13 March 2018 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

An art prize has been launched in memory of Henrike Grohs, former Head of Goethe-Institut in Abidjan, who died on 13 March 2016 in a terrorist attack in Côte d’Ivoire, two years ago.

Selected by a jury made up of Koyo Kouoh (Artistic Director, RAW Material Company, Dakar), Laurence Bonvin (artist and representative of the Grohs family, Berlin), Raphael Chikukwa (Chief Curator, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare) and Simon Njami (Curator, Paris), the winner will be presented with 20.000€ as prize.

The Henrike Grohs Art Award recognises the lifetime achievements of the former Head of the Goethe-Institut in Abidjan. The prize would like to continue her special cause to support African artists and make a contribution towards international dialogue.

“Henrike Grohs was a colleague who stood for the unifying power of culture. In her work at the Goethe-Institut, she was committed to supporting the contribution that African artists make to their communities, to the continent and to global discourse. We would like to honour this contribution with the Henrike Grohs Art Award and reward outstanding African artists”, states Johannes Ebert, Secretary General of the Goethe-Institut.

The prize is aimed at artists who live and work on the African continent. It will be awarded biennially to an artist or an arts collective practicing in the field of visual arts. Artistic quality is the most important criteria for the award. Collaborative partnership, imparting knowledge to other artists and social engagement are decisive elements for recognition.

A shortlist of three candidates will be released on 26 February 2018 and the winner of the debut award will be announced on 13 March 2018, in Abidjan.

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