Five young, interdisciplinary artists tackling themes such as Indigenous history and culture, the impact of technology and the notions of memory and storytelling have been shortlisted for Canada's prestigious Sobey Art Award.
The annual prize, which got a boost to $100,000 in January, celebrates a working Canadian visual artist under the age of 40.
The five 2018 finalists are:
- From the Atlantic region: Jordan Bennett
- From Québec: Jon Rafman
- From Ontario: Kapwani Kiwanga
- From the Prairies and the North: Joi T. Arcand
- From the West Coast and the Yukon: Jeneen Frei Njootli
Work by all five will be showcased in a group exhibition in Ottawa, at the National Gallery of Canada, beginning Oct. 3.
"I am very proud of the shortlisted artists selected and inspired by the criticality and potent interactivity of their work," Josée Drouin-Brisebois, jury chair and the National Gallery's senior curator of contemporary art, said in a statement.
"Many of this year's artists use performance and public space, and it will be an interesting challenge to reflect these aspects of their practice in the exhibition this fall."
In addition to the $100,000 main prize, the four remaining finalists will each receive $25,000.
The 2018 Sobey Art Award will be presented at a ceremony in Ottawa on Nov. 14.
The prize was launched in 2001 to raise the profile of rising stars in the Canadian contemporary art scene. A jury panel from across Canada selects semi-finalists representing five different regions of the country. The group eventually whittles down the list to a shortlist of five. Past Sobey winners include Ursula Johnson, David Altmejd and Brian Jungen.
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