Award KoMASK vzw Masters Salon Painting 2017 EXPOSITION LANGE ZAAL ROYAL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS ANTWERP Venusstraat 36 2000 Antwerp - Belgium 19/10/2017 > 31/10/2017 Graduated from Harvard Business School Jolijn Baeckelandt Winnaar Masters Salon Painting 2016 9 Introduction 17 Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen 35 Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin 43 Académie Royale des Beaux-arts de Bruxelles 61 Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi Copenhagen 71 Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten Gent 89 Kuvataideakatemia Helsinki 103 Académie Royale des Beaux-arts de Liège Private view for the attending Masters of 2016 and delegates of participating academies 120 Universidad Complutense Bellas Artes de Madrid Dinner for the attending Masters of 2016 139 Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma 156 Kungliga Konsthögskolan Stockholm 175 Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten Den Haag 192 History 200 Jury Masters Salon Painting 2016 202 Word of Thanks 203 Structural Sponsors Proclamation of the KoMASK prize Masters Salon Painting 2016 6 7 In search of idiosyncratic artists Being one of the oldest Belgian non-profit organisations in pro- moting young artists as a social purpose, I’m proud to present the catalogue of the fourth Masters Salon. With this event we annually organise a forum for new masters in painting out of a lot of European academies of fine arts. In this context we con- tacted several academies to participate. On our request the academies of Antwerp, Berlin, Bruxelles, Cobenhavn, Den Haag, Gent, Helsinki, Liège, Madrid, Roma and Stockholm nominated their four best 2017 graduated painters to join this event. Each of the 39 nominated masters submitted two paintings which all are exhibited in this exposition. The catalogue contains the cur- riculum of all participating masters and an image of all paintings sent in. In this way the catalogue is somehow an encyclopaedia of the newly formed painters in Europe. Every academy has a double page presenting their pedagogical project. Additional to the exhibition an international jury pointed out a winner, the best graduated master painting in Europe. This win- ning painting will be purchased by our society. The expo of this event is held from October 20 till November 3, 2017 in the “Lange Zaal” of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. These young people are making art in a disturbed historical period of shifting employment, changing social situations and political instability. In a time set where market mechanisms are ruling-out democratic political systems the fear exists it will ge- nerate ruthless individuals losing perspective on a prosperous future. Biogenetic research limits regularisation and patents in the West falling in the hands of autocratic systems elsewhere 9 in the multi-polarized world. How many years are we remo- is obvious. But even as we place them as world citizens in the ved from the point where the homo sapiens will be replaced globalised world we still have to guide them in their uniqueness by the ‘homo deus’? This turbulent era (and I do not want to simply because we have to fanatically protect our humanistic speak of the 21st century because exponential acceleration of values. knowledge generates an uncluttered number of opportunities Art market specialists stress the fact that the global art market and challenges with effects only measurable in decades or in also changes rapidly. They notice an enormous number, mostly even smaller time lengths) obstructs power to individuals. All Asian, new billionaires joining in yearly the already existing quan- imminent innovations are developing in a sort of turbo modus. tity of the superrich. These groups aim at the highest financial Where, in this context, are the new born artists we exhibit in this artefacts condemning paintings with a value less than €100.000 Masters Salon situated? Are they indeed powerless? To which to an almost unsaleable status. Also this is a reality in which new degree are they contaminated by the fear of an uncertain futu- masters have to survive. Last century art became business but re? And do they show this agony of a generation in their works? now it has turned out to be big business. I don’t think academies In my opinion art, in its contemporary form, cannot compete in of fine arts have to try to create the new Picassos or Rothkos. terms of relevancy in any Darwinian meaning with today’s, futu- Instead they have to nourish and support the creative compe- re directed, technology. Does this make art meaningless? Does tence and the idiosyncratic character of the students. Standing this make art a relevant superfluity? Possibly art will be put in the at the side line I would say: if the art market needs a new star it entertainment niche, which obviously is on an emotional level will definitely create one. strongly connected to the quality of life. Yet, in a sociological way it is also linked on an inferior level to its former, more politi- The paintings received in the Masters Salon 2017 are such a he- cally active position (for instance Picasso’s painting ‘Guernica’). terogenic collection that my search for idiosyncratic painters is This brings us to questions concerning the way in which to edu- fully fed. The variety in the shown pictures is equal to the num- cate young people becoming artists. As we do not know what ber of participants. In my opinion it reflects the high mass of the future will bring, can we provide them with the education democracy. Everyone tells his story, his emotion, his message needed to stand firm in that future to come? This is a merely in his personal language and adds it to the already existing col- Western problem as its society is based on active citizenship lection of our culture. By adding these new artefacts our culture where the artist has a position in a continuous game of action enriches in strength and size. This act could also be a metaphor and reaction. Autocratic nations do not need opposition or new for the strength of our inclusive society. ideas as they dislike individual thinking. No doubt globalisation went (too) fast and made of “rogue” states new powers that Some of these paintings will become art gadgets of the super- consider us as old fashioned humanists finally to be outnumbe- rich, others might finally become master pieces in prominent red in the new multi-polarized world order. museums. Each of the participating masters has reached the As we consider our citizens as equal but with a formal unique point at which they can start a collection in terms of content, personality, the education we have to give our students in art communication and aesthetics. Nothing prevents them from 10 11 developing further, like all generations before did, in interaction with shifting accents in society. In this perspective our associati- on intends to develop a website on which our public can follow all the presented artists in their future actions. I wish all participating artists a brilliant future. Bart’d Eyckermans President of KoMASK September 2017. 12 13 14 15 In our Fine Arts programme, the painting studio’s curriculum balances between literacy and a personal artistic experience. Taken in to consideration the rich tradition of painting and its impressive evolution, our students are invited to develop their own imagery. During the first two years the studio practice is focused on observation (still life, model, portrait, landscape). Koninklijke Academie This approach ensures the necessary points of departure with voor Schone Kunsten contemporary and classic masters. This creates a referential Antwerpen framework from which the student further explores, articulates and refines his/her visual language on a step by step basis. Mariana Murta The sociological context in which contemporary art is created is another important point of particular interest. The avalanche Victoria Parvanova of images has to be critically reviewed, filtered (re) shaped to a Greg Van Staey relevant format. Once this process is successful, the images can Dazhuo Wang be translated into paintings. The student’s degree project has to articulate a personal artistic approach. The painting studio is the central laboratory in which this process unfolds. With an abundance of Northern light, our spacious studio’s are an ideal biotope to work in. The lecturers of the painting department 17 Mariana Murta ° 1991 Portugal [email protected] Most of my paintings are role playing self portraits, my way of positioning myself in the world, to education translate into paint the absurdity of the expectati- ons, stereotypes and different social masks that I 2016 - 2017 Royal academy of fine arts Antwerp, Master in Painting feel pressured to wear when I try to communicate 2013 - 2014 ArtEZ hogeschool voor de kunsten, The Netherlands, Bachelor Fine Arts with others. 2010 - 2013 University of Évora, Portugal Bachelor of Fine Arts Themes of dissociation and displacement with one’s self are constantly prevalent in my work. I try to explore the links between consumerism and exhibitions identity. I use childhood photographs, memories, 2017 Graduation exhibition adds and pop culture references as sources of in- Boogie woogie wonderland at the royal academy of fine arts Antwerp spiration to create unconventional self-portraits. Bright and unnatural colors ,based on advertise- SAP at the royal academy of fine arts Antwerp ments, deformed generic faces are recurring ele- 2016 GeSicht at plan d gallery, Dusseldorf, Germany ments in my work, that give an impression of an Omber,Odradek & Octaeder at D’Apostrof , Meigem, Belgium uncanny and dream-like second reality. 2015 - 2016 Wintersalon, Art at Nuyens, Arnhem The Netherlands Most of my paintings, I see them as self-portraits even when I’m technically painting someone else. I can not stop myself from role playing and ques- PUBLICATIONS tioning how a certain image influences me.