Artists Ada M. Patterson, Babette Kleijn, Samboleap Tol, Yoeri Guépin, Bik Van der Pol, Bert Frings, Dirk van Lieshout and Maike Hemmers are the nominees for the Dolf Henkes Prize 2023. This year, the art prize was awarded for the tenth time to a leading maker from Rotterdam. On November 10, the jury announced that Samboleap Tol was allowed to take home the prize.
For the anniversary edition, all previous winners of this prize nominated an artist to whom they wished the prize. This resulted in an exhibition in which very different practices touch and complement each other. The works presented express an urgent desire for new stories and a plurality of perspectives.
Thematically, major issues alternate with close observations. Where some works ask for a moment of silence and vulnerability, others find meaning in interaction. All nominees want to start a conversation around the question: what voices, sounds and feelings are there in the world, and how are they subject to change?
The jury consisted of writer/curator Hanne Hagenaars, writer/curator Yasmijn Jarram and artist Toon Teeken.
Curator: Annosh Urbanke / Design: Janne Beldman
About the Dolf Henkes Prize
The Rotterdam artist Dolf Henkes (1903-1989) told stories about the world around him with his work. He painted the harbour, his fellow human beings on Katendrecht, the horrors of the Second World War and the light landscapes on Curaçao where he sought refuge after that dark period.
The Dolf Henkes Prize is an initiative of the Henkes Foundation and is made possible by the artist's estate, which is managed by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. Previous winners include Geo Wyeth, Evelyn Taocheng Wang, Katarina Zdjelar, Lidwien van de Ven, Gyz La Rivière, Lara Almarcegui, Melvin Moti, Erik van Lieshout and Jeroen Eisinga.