Icelandic conceptual artist, Kristján Guðmundsson, has been selected to receive the Carnegie Art Award in recognition of his sound-absorbing paintings. Guðmundsson is considered one of Iceland’s most accomplished contemporary artists and his works often examines the tension that exists between nothing and something. His outstanding contribution to Nordic contemporary art was acknowledged by a 6-person jury, which unanimously selected Guðmundsson for the 1,000,000 SEK first prize.
Established in 1998, the Carnegie Art Award seeks to recognize the accomplishments of artists of Nordic descent or who are residing in Nordic countries. Each year approximately 30 experts on Nordic contemporary art, including critics and representatives of museums and art schools, nominate up to five artists each to be considered for the prestigious award. Guðmundsson will be awarded his prize by HM Queen Margrethe of Denmark on September 17th in Copenhagen, along with second-prize winner Kristina Jansson and third-prize winner Felix Gmelin, both of Sweden. The award ceremony will also mark the beginning of the annual touring exhibition of 23 nominated artists, which visits all Nordic capitals as well as London, Beijing and Nice over the course of 18-months.
In addition to being shown in conjunction with the Carnegie Art Award tour, Guðmundsson’s work is currently being exhibited at the National Gallery of Iceland as part of the Reykjavík Arts Festival alongside the works of Hrafnkell Sigurðsson, who uses photography to express a range of concepts, typically concerning the inevitable collision between nature and culture. The exhibit will run through to June 28th.
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