From the jury’s report
The presentations offer a fascinating overview on where the work of each nominee currently stands and provide hints for future developments. Through their engagement, the candidates present their reflections on, and interpretations of, societal developments. The 2016 Dolf Henkes Award has never had such an international character. But this didn’t surprise the jury. Rotterdam, a harbour city on a busy river, is by nature connected to the world.
The jury was drawn to how Daan Botlek intuitively seeks his path as an artist, gaining his own place in the art world. Although best known for his interventions in public space, his recognisable and compelling imagery is also found in his sketchbooks and drawings.
We were moved by how Rory Pilgrim lays bare the essentials of social themes. The work’s diversity shows a sophisticated, poetic eloquence. Rana Hamadeh impressed the jury with her compelling installations, sculptures, performances, and films, which reveal contradictions and relationships in histories, geographical locations, and philosophies. She challenges the audience to explain these associations, to form an opinion, and she purposely confuses the viewer.
Katarina Zdjelar distils contemporary themes to their essence, setting them to focused, compelling, and insistent imagery. She returns the societal to the individual, which in turn is a reflection of society. Katarina Zdjelar is the winner of the 2016 Dolf Henkes Award and €12,000.
About the winner
Katarina Zdjelar (1979, Belgrade, Serbia) studied Fine Art at the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam. Her work has been exhibited at the 53rd Venice Biennale, ICA London, MACBA Barcelona, Buro Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Museum Sztuki Lodz, Busan Biennale (2016), Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, and TENT Rotterdam.
Exhibition extended
The exhibition of the 2016 Dolf Henkes Award nominees’ work is extended until Sunday 26 February.
Dolf Henkes Award 2016
The Dolf Henkes Award is awarded every two years to a leading artist living and/or working in Rotterdam. The €12,000 prize was established by the Rotterdam artist Dolf Henkes (1903 – 1989). At his request, part of his legacy is intended for artists with an extraordinary body of work. Previous winners were Jeroen Eisinga, Erik van Lieshout, Melvin Moti, Lara Almarcegui, Gyz La Rivière, and Lidwien van de Ven.
Jury Dolf Henkes Award 2016
Alexander Ramselaar (collector), Lidwien van de Ven (artist and winner of the Dolf Henkes Prize 2014), David Bade (artist and co-founder Instituto Buena Bista in Curacao), Noor Mertens (curator), and Niels Post (artist and co-founder Trendbeheer)
The Dolf Henkes Award is an initiative of Henkes Foundation and is made possible by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, Stichting Bevordering van Volkskracht, G.Ph.Verhagen Stichting, STOER, and Powerhouse Company