Outset is supporting a London-based residency as part of the winning prize for the Norval Sovereign African Art Prize.
Norval Sovereign African Art Prize
The Norval Sovereign African Art Prize is an annual award that celebrates the practices of leading contemporary artists from Africa and its diaspora. A collaboration between Norval Foundation and The Sovereign Art Foundation, the Prize grants the winner a solo exhibition at Norval Foundation, a financial prize of $35,000 and an artist residency in London, supported by Outset. A board of independent arts professionals, comprising curators, writers and academics who work closely with artists in their respective regions, nominated a total of 375 artists for the third edition of the Prize.
An exhibition held between 14 February 2024 and 12 May 2024 at the Norval Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa presents the work of the 27 shortlisted finalists. These artists, representing 17 countries from across the continent were selected by a group of five world-class art specialists: Ashraf Jamal – Writer and Researcher, ArtBankSA and University of Johannesburg; Heba El Kayal – Chief Curatorial Consultant, Norval Foundation; Marie-Ann Yemsi – Independent Exhibition Curator and Contemporary Art Consultant; Ngaire Blankenberg – Founder and Director, Institute for Creative Repair; and Sean O’Toole – Writer, Editor and Curator. This exhibition was curated by Seth Kriger with special thanks to Uvile-Ovayo Kweyama and the rest of the Norval Foundation team.
The public is invited to cast a vote for their favourite artwork displayed in the exhibition. The artwork with the most votes is awarded the Public Vote Prize and receives $2,000. The Public Vote Prize will be unveiled in May 2024.
Sotheby’s auctioned the remaining finalists’ works online between 13–20 February 2024, with funds raised benefiting both artists and the Norval Foundation’s Learning Centre and art education mission.
The winner of this year’s Grand Prize was announced on 13 February, at the start of the 11th Edition of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2024 VIP programming at the Norval Foundation. Moroccan artist Amina Ageuznay won the prize with her work titled Portal #1, a tactile and sensory experience, created using undyed wool, cotton and palm husk. The work originated from an invitation by eco-architect and anthropologist Salima Naji to lead workshops for the women of Tissekmoudine, a “ksar” or settlement in southern Morocco. Central to the “ksar’s” identity are its doors. During these workshops,participants engaged in self-observation, documenting their daily routines and spatial interactions. The women’s sketches of these doors were transformed into wool weavings. Agueznay developed her own interpretations of these doors, incorporating alternative materials from the oasis like talefdamt (palm husk) and ifraoune (palm leaves).
As an architect, Agueznay embarks on journeys through urban and rural regions across Morocco seeking out artisans to document their indigenous design techniques and traditions. This research profoundly influences her own contemporary interventions, emphasizing the collaborative essence of creation, especially in the realm of textile work. The artist is represented by Loft Art Gallery in Marrakech, Morroco.
Upon winning the prize, Amina Agueznay said:
“I am so honoured and that I am being awarded a Prize from another part of the continent other than where I am from is that much greater! The recognition means the world to me and a win such as this reassures me that the way I have been pursuing my work and how I want to work in the future is the correct way.”
Reflecting on the judging process and the winner, judge Ashraf Jamal said:
“A great final decision has been made. After hours of deep reflection, the jury stayed true to the greater goal of the prize – the choice of an artist with an enduring vision of the lives and triumphs of women of the African desert. The continent is massive and complex, the drives exhilaratingly diverse, as it should be on a continent that will gift the earth a ‘human face’. These words, by Steve Bantu Biko, express Africa’s greater purpose, and the role of our artist in fulfilling this noble vision.”
Hannay O’ Leary, Sotheby’s senior Director of Modern and Contemporary African Art said:
“The standard of this year’s entries has been phenomenal and the auction provides collectors a chance to acquire work by some of the most exciting artists of today, while directly supporting the artists themselves and the wonderful ongoing educational work provided by the Norval Foundation. Sotheby’s is delighted to support such a great cause and remains dedicated to showcasing the very best talent from across the African continent.”
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About Norval Foundation:
Norval Foundation is a centre for art and cultural expression, dedicated to the research, education and exhibition of 20th- and 21st-century visual art from Africa and its diaspora. Located in the Steenberg area of Cape Town, adjacent to Table Mountain National Park, the Norval Foundation combines the experience of art with an appreciation for nature. The Sculpture Garden, Learning centre, outdoor amphitheatre, purpose-built exhibition spaces and research library are situated in a unique setting that offers visitors a multisensory experience. We aim to make art widely accessible to local and international visitors by creating a self-sustaining centre for art. We achieve this by creating high-quality exhibitions and facilitating an extensive education programme through our Learning centre.
The Norval Foundation Learning Centre is an investment into the South African youth where we aim to educate through art. The Centre exists to provide the practical tools for learners to develop their creative thinking, interpretation and problem-solving skills to learn self- expression and the confidence that comes with it. These skills, in turn, inspire and empower learners to make better life decisions.
The Norval family founded Norval Foundation, a registered not-for-profit organization, in 2018. Their ongoing aim is to make art widely available to the public through the creation a self- sustaining centre for art. The proceeds from capital donations are used to secure the Foundation for future generations.
About The Sovereign Art Foundation:
The Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) is a charitable organisation that was founded in 2003 with a well-defined twin focus: to recognise, support, and promote contemporary art talent, and to bring the proven benefits of expressive arts to disadvantaged children.
In the same year, SAF launched The Sovereign Asian Art Prize, now recognised as the most established and prestigious annual art award in Asia-Pacific. In 2021, SAF co-founded a new prize in Africa and launched another In Portugal. The Prizes aim to increase the international exposure of regional artists, whilst raising funds by selling shortlisted artworks and sharing proceeds equally between the participating artists and the foundation. SA F uses these proceeds to fund programmes that support disadvantaged children using expressive arts. This model has so far raised over US$11 million for artists and charities worldwide.
In 2013, SAF launched Make It Better (MIB), an initiative that supports children from low-income backgrounds and with special educational needs in Hong Kong. MIB works in local schools and community centres to offer children a programme of expressive arts workshops designed to build self-esteem, confidence, self-awareness and interpersonal skills. SAF also supports teachers, social workers and caregivers of these children by introducing them to the therapeutic benefits of art.
About Sovereign:
Sovereign began in Gibraltar in 1987 and has since grown into one of the largest independent corporate and trust service providers in the world. Sovereign currently manages over 20,000 clients that include companies, entrepreneurs, private investors or high net worth individuals and their families and have assets under administration in excess of £20 billion.
Sovereign Corporate Services – offers company formation and management across all major jurisdictions, together with the necessary support to assist companies of all sizes to establish and sustain operations successfully.
Sovereign Private Client Services – provides trustee services, wealth management and succession planning to internationally mobile families and entrepreneurs.
Sovereign Retirement Planning – devises and administers individual and corporate international pension schemes that offer choice, transparency and portability across multiple jurisdictions.
Sovereign Insurance Services – offers bespoke corporate and personal insurance services for our clients, wherever they are domiciled. Sovereign has established a network of offices or agents inall major international finance centres, allowing clients to access a global service from a local point of delivery and holds appropriate authorisations in all jurisdictions that require it to be licensed.
About Sotheby’s:
Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access to and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 70 categories which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Design, as well as collectable cars and real estate. Sotheby’s believes in the transformative power of art and culture and is committed to making our industries more inclusive, sustainable and collaborative.
