The Prince Claus Fund Impact Award 2024 has been awarded to six exceptional artists: Mu Cao, Myrlande Constant, Nguyễn Trinh Thi, Rosa Chávez, Sana Na N’Hada, and Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi (known as crazinisT artisT). These laureates were recognized for their profound contributions to society through art, receiving an undisclosed monetary prize to support their impactful work. The recipients were selected by an international jury chaired by Pablo Leon de la Barra (Mexico), a curator and researcher; Kettly Mars (Haiti), an awardee novelist and poet; Anocha Suwichakornpong (Thailand), a filmmaker and screenwriter; photographer and visual artist Sammy Baloji (Belgium), and interdisciplinary practitioner Avni Sethi (India).
The Prince Claus Fund Impact Award honors artists whose work engages communities and addresses urgent social issues. The Impact Award is presented biannually to artists whose groundbreaking quality of work has made widely positive contribution to their society. Recipients are selected based on a nomination process and receive a grant during an official ceremony at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, celebrating their consistent dedication and engagement with urgent global issues.
Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, who presented the awards, emphasized that this year’s recipients “challenge us to review our old truisms and critically assess our own and others’ dominant narratives.” The no-strings-attached prize allows recipients to allocate the funds as they see fit, a decision aimed at avoiding undue risks or attention that could compromise their safety or creative freedom.
- Mu Cao (China): A self-taught poet and fiction writer, Mu Cao is one of the few openly gay poets in China. His work vividly captures the experiences of rural and working-class gay men, blending personal narratives with imaginative storytelling to illuminate lives often marginalized by society.
- Myrlande Constant (Haiti): As a pioneer in Vodou drapo—traditional Haitian flag art—Myrlande brings spiritual themes together with personal and political narratives in intricate, large-scale embroidery pieces.
- Nguyễn Trinh Thi (Vietnam): A filmmaker and artist, Nguyễn employs montage techniques using found footage and original recordings to explore colonial legacies and the erasure of indigenous Vietnamese cultures, creating thought-provoking narratives about memory and representation.
- Rosa Chávez (Guatemala): A multidisciplinary artist and poet, Rosa’s work reflects her K’iche’ and Kaqchikel Maya heritage. She explores themes of migration, environment, and the individual and collective body, bridging personal and communal experiences.
- Sana Na N’Hada (Guinea-Bissau): A pioneering filmmaker, Sana documents Guinea-Bissau’s historical and social struggles through both fiction and documentary. He played a pivotal role in establishing the country’s National Film Institute and preserving its cinematic heritage.
- Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi (Ghana): Known as crazinisT artisT, Va-Bene is a multidisciplinary artivist whose performance-based practice addresses societal norms, identity, and social change. A former teacher and pastor, she pursued her art at Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
The Awards Ceremony took place at the Royal Palace of Amsterdam on December 3, 2024, celebrating the laureates’ dedication to using art as a tool for social change.
Marcus Desando, Executive Director of the Prince Claus Fund, highlighted the critical role of these artists, stating: “In times of global crises, it is the work of cultural practitioners and activists like these that propels us forward. Their dedication to advocating for social change through the power of culture deserves global recognition and celebration.”
Through their art, the 2024 laureates offer resistance to dominant, destructive narratives, inspiring us to imagine a more equitable and inclusive future.
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