Queen Sonja Art Foundation is proud to announce the Moroccan artist as the winner of the prestigious Print award
Yto Barrada, A Modest Proposal, 2010-2012. Poster Series, offset prints, 15 recto/verso, 29.7 x 42cm. Graphic design by Nadja Zimmermann. Courtesy of the artist and Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Pace Gallery, and Galerie Polaris.
The jury is deeply impressed by Yto Barrada’s multidisciplinary practice where printmaking, printed matter or methods of reproduction are used with effortless ease to serve conceptual purposes. Informed by postcolonial thought and socio-political concerns, the artist engages in topics of identity, urban development, nature or collective memory. Her eclectic use of traditional printmaking techniques such as woodblock, serigraphy or letterpress printing, as well as risograph prints and different photo printing techniques, allows her the flexibility to simultaneously work with text, image and more abstract motifs.
Barrada investigates archival practices, poster traditions, institutionalized narratives and propaganda production, to create real and imaginary stories. There is a poignant playfulness and curiosity in her multifaceted artistic production. The jury is fascinated by Barrada’s continuous search for new forms of expressions, pushing the boundaries of her own practice and our understanding of printmaking and graphic art.
The award is presented every other year by the HM Queen Sonja Art Foundation, which was established in 2011 to generate interest in and promote the development of graphic art. With its focus on fine art printmaking in all its expressions and techniques, the Queen Sonja Print Award is set to become not only the largest, but also the most prestigious prize within this field of contemporary art.
QSPA is not only about handing out prestigious prizes to talented artists. It is also essential in making graphic art more available to the public. Our ambition is to create a meeting place where people can enjoy unique, premium quality prints and printmaking – and be impressed by it– no matter their level of interest in art. The opening of QSPA Bispevika in 2021 is an important step towards raising general interest in graphic art and making it more accessible to people.
For more information, please visit The Queen Sonja Foundation.
