the vincent 2006

The Vincent, The Vincent van Gogh Biennial Award for Contemporary Art in Europe, is being accommodated at the Stedelijk Museum for the first time this year. The work of the five nominated artists can be seen at Stedelijk Museum CS. 

The artists that have been nominated for ‘The Vincent 2006’ are: Urs Fischer (Switzerland, b. 1973), Andrei Monastyrski (Russia, b. 1949), Dan Perjovschi (Romania, b. 1961), Wilhelm Sasnal(Poland, b. 1972) and Cerith Wyn Evans (United Kingdom, b. 1958). 

There will also be a programme of lectures in connection with this exhibition.

Exhibition
The artists nominated have conceived special presentations and in many cases produced new work for ‘The Vincent 2006’. For example, Wilhelm Sasnal is presenting three new films, one of which, The River (2006), will be having its premiere in Stedelijk Museum CS. Urs Fischer has produced new sculptures and Dan Perjovschi has done walldrawings in one gallery in which he responds to current events and again picks up his other themes. Andrei Monastyrski is showing both a recent installation and earlier work from his oeuvre. In addition, attention is given to the over 100 actions and performances by Collective Actions, the artists’ group of which Monastyrski has been a part since the 1970s. In an other gallery Cerith Wyn Evans has combined recent works, and on a stair landing he is showing a chandelier of Murano Glass which illuminates two texts on astronomical photography.

Discussion with the artists
Prior to the opening of the exhibition, at 16:00 h. on Thursday, September 14, in the coffee corner on the second storey of the Post-CS building a discussion will take place between the artists involved and Mariá Hlavajová, director of BAK, Utrecht. This discussion will be recorded and shown in a specially outfitted information space, where catalogues and articles about the artists and about contemporary art in Europe can also be found. In addition it will also be possible to view the website of ‘The Vincent 2006’ –  www.thevincentaward.eu – there.

SMCS on 11 - Lecture programme
In collaboration with the European Cultural Foundation the Stedelijk Museum is organising a special lecture programme in conjunction with ‘The Vincent 2006’, as part of SMCS on 11. Unless otherwise indicated, the lectures will take place on the 11th storey of the Post-CS building.

Publications
A catalogue with an introductory essay by Michaël Zeeman and texts regarding the works of the artists by Marius Babias (Dan Perjovschi), Roos Gortzak (Cerith Wyn Evans), Boris Groys (Andrei Monastyrski), Beatrix Ruf (Urs Fischer) and James Tierney (Wilhelm Sasnal) will appear to accompany the exhibition. The catalogue The Vincent 2006 (ISBN 9086900313) will be available in the museum shop for € 24,95.
Interviews with Andrei Monastyrski and Dan Perjovschi will be found in Stedelijk Museum Bulletin 3, 2006. Interviews with Urs Fischer and Cerith Wyn Evans and a text regarding Wilhelm Sasnal follow in Stedelijk Museum Bulletin 4-5, 2006.

Award presentation
The presentation of The Vincent 2006 will take place on November 17 in the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam

Website
A special website has been launched for ‘The Vincent’: www.thevincentaward.eu. All the developments and announcements surrounding ‘The Vincent 2006’ will be published and kept up to date on this site.

The Vincent, The Vincent van Gogh Biennial Award for Contemporary Art in Europe, was introduced in 2000 by The Broere Charitable Foundation in memory of Monique Zajfen, a beloved friend of the Broere family and former owner of Galerie 121 in Antwerp. Her involvement with and passion for contemporary art are once again an incentive to focus attention on talented artists from Europe. The prize also has the purpose of stimulating communication about art in a free, united and peaceful Europe.