StartPoint Prize 2018 in Brno

The StartPoint Prize, dedicated to art school graduates, has evolved during its sixteen years of existence from a national show of degree‘s works to a prestigious international project, annually introducing the most outstanding talents of emerging artistic generations from various European countries. Presently, it covers 28 prestigious academies from 14 countries and is the largest European overview of its kind. The works of all 28 finalists are published on the project’s website www.startpointprize.eu. The winner of the prize gets a complete production of his/her solo catalogue and together with other awarded artists a one month residency in Prague during the following year.

Instead of one enormous overview, this year we are planning a whole series of expositions: after the opening exhibition at the House of Arts in Brno we are preparing a performative pop-up presentation, showing artists who work with the elements of theatre, performance or interactive installations.

StartPoint Prize was founded in 2003 at the Klatovy Gallery / Klenová Gallery, since 2009 the award was accompanied by a Started residency programmme for awarded artists. Since 2010 is StartPoint Prize an independent prize, being hosted by important museums (GASK Kutná Hora, Wannieck Gallery Brno, DOX , National Gallery in Prague). StartPoint also produces smaller selective exhibitions in other European cities (Bucharest, Gent, Bratislava, Amsterdam). Since 2017, StartPoint Prize is backed by the Contemporary Arts Fund, which also manages the renowned Richard Adam Collection.

The StartPoint Prize is unique not only for its long tradition and span, but also for its independence, where the academies hold only a minority consulting vote. It does not even determine the medium, technique or theme, the most important criterion is the novelty and originality. During the sixteen years of StartPoint‘s existence, hundreds of artists have passed through, many of which are respected stars today, and all of them together create a unique geographical and temporal cross-section of European contemporary art in its freshest form.