25th Anniversary Montblanc de la Culture 25th Anniversary Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award Arts Patronage Montblanc de la Culture 25th Anniversary Arts Patronage Award 1992 25th Anniversary Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award 2016 Anniversary 2016 CONTENT MONTBLANC DE LA CULTURE ARTS PATRONAGE AWARD 25th Anniversary — Preface 04 / 05 The Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award 06 / 09 Red Carpet Moments 10 / 11 25 YEARS OF PATRONAGE Patron of Arts — 2016 Peggy Guggenheim 12 / 23 2015 Luciano Pavarotti 24 / 33 2014 Henry E. Steinway 34 / 43 2013 Ludovico Sforza – Duke of Milan 44 / 53 2012 Joseph II 54 / 63 2011 Gaius Maecenas 64 / 73 2010 Elizabeth I 74 / 83 2009 Max von Oppenheim 84 / 93 2 2008 François I 94 / 103 3 2007 Alexander von Humboldt 104 / 113 2006 Sir Henry Tate 114 / 123 2005 Pope Julius II 124 / 133 2004 J. Pierpont Morgan 134 / 143 2003 Nicolaus Copernicus 144 / 153 2002 Andrew Carnegie 154 / 163 2001 Marquise de Pompadour 164 / 173 2000 Karl der Grosse, Hommage à Charlemagne 174 / 183 1999 Friedrich II the Great 184 / 193 1998 Alexander the Great 194 / 203 1997 Peter I the Great and Catherine II the Great 204 / 217 1996 Semiramis 218 / 227 1995 The Prince Regent 228 / 235 1994 Louis XIV 236 / 243 1993 Octavian 244 / 251 1992 Lorenzo de Medici 252 / 259 IMPRINT — Imprint 260 / 264 Content Anniversary Preface 2016 This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Montblanc Cultural Foundation: an occasion to acknowledge considerable achievements, while recognising the challenges that lie ahead. Since its inception in 1992, through its various yet interrelated programmes, the Foundation continues to appreciate the significant role that art can play in instigating key shifts, and at times, ruptures, in our perception of and engagement with the cultural, social and political conditions of our times. Departing from this awareness, and coupled with the enduring conviction in the irrefutable link between knowledge and the written Sam Bardaouil word, the Foundation’s mission is underpinned by a profound understanding that several key players demand our support and recognition for a thriving arts culture to flourish. This has been manifested in the Foundation’s equal commitment to both, the artists who, needless to say, form the nucleus of any artistic community, and the patrons whose support provides artists with the various types of resources and opportunities they need to develop and disseminate their work. Since 1992, through the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, the Foundation has awarded some 280 patrons from more than 20 countries, recognising the considerable efforts and sacrifices that true patronage entails. The awardees have ranged from not-for-profit organisations to individual philanthropists. Till Fellrath They have included museum directors whose innovative programming, despite financial hardship, has made it possible for their respective communities to continue having access 4 to artworks that otherwise would have ended up in storage. Among the awardees have 5 Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath been descendants of seminal artists whose hard work and perseverance has led to the Co-Chairmen, preservation and dissemination of that artist’s legacy. The awardees have also comprised Montblanc Cultural Foundation a heterogeneous number of foundations that, each in their own resourceful and creative manner has managed to create opportunities for a wide array of artists to conceive, create and exhibit new artworks. There have also been private collectors who, in recognising the importance of education, have opened up their collections making art ranging from countries as far flung as Japan, South Korea, China and India, to Germany, France, Italy, accessible through cutting-edge community outreach programmes. What the Montblanc Mexico and the US, just to name a few, mirrors the Foundation’s conviction in our responsibility as de la Culture Arts Patronage Award has identified amongst all these considerably diverse cultural practitioners to challenge the notions of centre vs. periphery leading the way to a more patrons is a shared courage to take risks, to envision the world differently, while inclusive art-historical canon that acknowledges diverse centres of artistic production, both from recognising all along the central position that artists and artworks occupy in this process the past and of the present. This is yet another one of the Montblanc Cultural Foundation’s visionary of evolution. This is one of the Montblanc Cultural Foundation’s achievements that we positions that we are cherishing today. acknowledge and celebrate today. With 25 years of great accomplishments to its name, the Foundation continues to firmly look ahead Another initiative that we must mark on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the towards all that is yet to be achieved. We are delighted to have been called upon to contribute to the Montblanc Cultural Foundation is its Cutting-Edge Art Collection programme. Initiated in shaping and advancement of the direction that the Foundation will take in the next chapter of its rich 2002, it now stands 210 works strong, representing more than 170 artists hailing from history. We are equally conscious of the responsibility at hand. While building on the successful 32 countries. Beyond including some of the last three decades’ most significant figures programmes that are already in place, we seek to develop new, inclusive initiatives that open up within the contemporary visual arts – most of whom were introduced into the collection additional possibilities for artists to produce and showcase their work, through an innovative plethora long before they rose to prominence – the collection’s geographical diversity reflects a of multidisciplinary platforms, where new audiences can connect with art that will challenge us today, fundamental conviction that remains integral to its raison d’être. The inclusion of artists and over the years to come. Preface Anniversary Patron of Art 2016 As the physical manifestation of the spoken language, the written word is the backbone de la Culture Arts Patronage Award was established, a visionary award that would recognize the work of human civilization. More than a means of communication between people, it gives and contributions of modern day art patrons. cultures a way of recording the events and thinking that has shaped their collective history. As an art form, otherwise knows as literature, it gives humanity the ability The Award continues to grow strong with more countries involved than ever before underscoring to express beliefs, ideas and stories. The written word gives every culture a sense of the importance of giving arts and culture the support they deserve. On the occasion of its permanence, a lasting reminder of who they are, where they came from, and where they 25th anniversary, sixteen patrons from around the world join a notable list of past winners that may be going. includes HRH The Prince of Wales, British maestro Sir Simon Rattle, Italian architect Renzo Piano and Japanese artist Yoko Ono. The 25th Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award is being Anchored in the culture of writing since 1906, Montblanc has never been the creator presented to patrons in China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Spain, of the written word, merely a facilitator, crafting the tools that allow the expression of Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, and for the first time in Brazil, Colombia and Greece. The Montblanc de la Culture ideas, thoughts and emotions through the art of writing. Some would say quite simply, it’s winners are selected from a shortlist by an international jury of art influencers, a passionate network Arts Patronage Award about putting ‘pen to paper’. In the same way, there is a small group of individuals in every of the world’s most creative individuals brought together by the Montblanc Cultural Foundation to 1992 – 2016 society who do not actually create art or perform or curate. Rather, they are facilitators evaluate the candidates based on their history of personal commitment to the arts, and a concern that who give artists the means to express their creativity by providing financial means. the wider public should benefit from cultural projects. This year, the jury is made up of 43 members Patrons of art through the ages from Roman diplomat Maecenas, one of the earliest emanating from all countries participating in the award, and each member of the jury is invited to vote recorded patrons, to the illustrious Medici family or the eccentric Peggy Guggenheim, for the nominees in every country including their own. each and everyone has contributed to arts and culture, allowing them to flourish, and thus making an important contribution to human society. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine While the annual award in each of these countries pays homage to the the trajectory of human civilization without the creativity, thoughtfulness and beauty of most deserving and committed patrons following a thorough evaluation, the poems of Ovid, the masterpieces of Leonardo da Vinci or the experimental painting of Montblanc believed that the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award has become much 6 Marcel Duchamp. the enjoyment of culture bigger than the individual ceremonies. Over the past 25 years, a network 7 comes from discovery, of international arts and culture experts, influencers, enthusiasts has When the Montblanc Cultural Foundation decided to honour artistic achievement in its emerged thanks to the award, bringing together individuals who are own unique way, it somehow didn’t make sense to create another award to celebrate first-hand experience constantly thinking about the arts, the challenges ahead but also the an artist, a work of art or a performance. Rather, it made sense to shine a light on a and education. opportunities for the future. Again, the Montblanc Cultural Foundation very small group of dedicated people working behind the scenes to help great works of has become the facilitator for these conversations, mobilizing an active art, performances and other cultural projects come to life.