Better Future Award 2021 Edition [English]
The annual Colecção Crescente exhibition is currently hosted by The Kulungwana Association at the Central Railway Station gallery in Maputo. The exhibition launched late March and will extend its viewing through an online portal.
This year’s exhibition invited 147 artists from 8 provinces in Mozambique to take part, where a total of 323 artworks were produced. Artists followed this year’s theme, The Future, set by Kulungwana and presented a variety of mixed media works on wooden blocks, which are 18 by 18 centimetres in size.
Hollard Mozambique’s partnership for the past four years with Kulungwana enriched and empowered Mozambican Arts and Artists, by enabling the development and recognition of their work, both locally and internationally.
Hollard further extended its sponsorship this year, by developing an online e-commerce platform, whereby the public can view and purchase artworks from the 2021 Colecção Crescente edition, and will be launched at the beginning of May 2021.
There were a total of 16 finalists from which the top 3 winners were selected by a panel of judges, based on specific criteria. The winning artists will be presented with the Better Future Award, sponsored by Hollard.
The 2021 Better Futures Award includes a week long residency at a one of South Africa’s most revered printmaking institution, The Artist Proof Studio. Here they will have the opportunity to work in studio and be taught by a trained printmaking facilitator. They will learn new techniques like, linocut, dry point and monotype printing. The travel, accommodation and meal expenses will be covered for the artists as part of Hollard Mozambique’s sponsorship.
The three winners of this year’s Colcecção Crescente edition will have the opportunity to be featured in upcoming exhibitions at the White River Gallery during the second half of 2021. There is also an opportunity for one artist to participate in a South African Turbine Art Fair with the White River Gallery in 2022.
A special thank you to the Director of White River Art Gallery, Dana MacFarlane’s involvement and sponsorship of the Better Future Award, as well as Mieke Oldenburg – the curator of Colecção Crescente, and last, but not least, the wonderful team at Kulungwana.