Emma Hart, GIVING IT ALL THAT, installation view
In conjunction with the Whitechapel Gallery and Collezione Maramotti, Max Mara have announced the five shortlisted artist for Max Mara’s sixth Art Prize for Women. The artists are Ruth Ewan, Emma Hart, Tania Kovats, Phoebe Unwin and Ana Genovés, whose sculptures feature in our latest issue’s fashion editorial with model Lina Berg.
The initiative, which was designed to support female artists in shaping the future of visual arts, invites five female gatekeepers, from gallerists to collectors, to select five UK-based emerging artists to develop proposals. The prize offers a six-month residency in Italy for the winning artist to complete the project and covers all costs as well as child care, and two major solo exhibitions. Previous winners include Laure Prouvost who went on to win the Turner Prize in 2013. Sleek spoke to Iwona Blazwick OBE, director of the Whitechapel Gallery, about the need for such awards, why all women are aesthetes and how gender fluidity is the future.
The sixth Max Mara Art Prize for Women also celebrates its tenth anniversary. Ten years on, why is it still relevant?
Iwona Blazwick It would be great to not need it but things are not changing fast enough. In London we just had nominations for the mayor – no women. I’ve just read Geena Davis’ study, which reveals that in Hollywood only 17% of leading roles, directors, producers are women. In classical music, can you name any female composers or conductors? There’s a long way to go and it’s pretty sad actually. In fact visual arts is ahead in the field and it’s because initiatives like these. Emma Hart said “I walked into museums and I couldn’t see my life”. So that is part of the reason why this prize is so important. Beyond that their work is acquired, it goes into a collection but it also drives the reputation of those artists.
Mr Maramotti, Iwona Blazwick, Ruth Ewan, Ana Genovés, Emma Hart, Tania Kovats and Phoebe Unwin
How can a fashion connection be beneficial to female artists?
I think all women are aesthetes; they are very sensitive to colour, proportion, texture, the aesthetics. This is good because women are keenly aware of the visual world and therefore many women of all walks of life are interested in fashion, on how we wear things, so having a tie-up with a fashion brand is a great way of communicating those artists to a much wider audience in the outside world. And for me that’s a political decision.
Would a transgender female artist qualify?
Yes, in fact that’s being talked about a lot now – transcending gender all together. I think there’s a generation of young people who are rejecting gender as a category, full stop, which I think it’s really exciting: that you could be either; you could be both. I think that fluidity really is the future.
Tania-Kovats, Tree, installation view
How does the prize help other artists beyond the shortlisted women?
First, the 20 selected artists are seen by five gatekeepers, who are quite powerful, so even if they don’t win these galleries might work with them or collect her work, so it’s that exposure, raising consciousness. Often exclusion is about ignorance. The next step is that the shortlist are all paid to come up with an idea, so it means were not just wasting their time, we do remunerate them and then that gives them time to develop a project. In the broader sphere it really is about finding its way through the media. Having a platform is crucial and I’d love this to be an example to someone who might have never thought about going to art school thinking “I could do that.” Or to step into our world, which in my experience is tolerant, progressive and it embraces difference. And what I hope is that the prize excites them to do that, as often kids go through school never know that. Britain at them the moment is cutting out art form the curriculum; it’s an absolute scandal, so a whole generation will be lost. Besides, you know Woolf wrote every woman needs a room of her own – it’s finding that room – even if it’s a corner of your flat or computer – and making something creative.
Interview by Will Furtado