Art enthusiasts listen up! Since established in 1996, the Hugo Boss Art Prize has celebrated the work and honoured the outstanding achievement of trailblazing artists. Unlike most art prizes, it’s open to any living artist, emerging or established, regardless of age, gender or nationality and working in any medium. Administered by Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, the prize is juried by a panel of the most illustrious industry figures from critics to curators. Last night, at a gala attended by 200 of the art world’s top movers and shakers at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, the 12th edition of the biennial prize was awarded to Simone Leigh.
The Chicago-born and Brooklyn-based artist is celebrated for her object-based practice, which explores black female subjectivity through videos, installations and arresting ceramic sculptures. Selected from a shortlist of six artists, Leigh follows in the footsteps of a roster of influential and innovative contemporary artists including Tacita Dean (2006), Hans-Peter Feldmann (2010), Matthew Barney (1996) and 2016’s recipient Anicka Yi, to win $100,000 and a solo exhibition at the Guggenheim.
“We would like to extend our sincerest congratulations to Simone Leigh and express our gratitude to the jury and the Guggenheim Museum for their dedication and support,” says Mark Langer, Hugo Boss AG’s chairman and CEO. “The Hugo Boss Prize marks a highlight in our partnership with the Guggenheim Museum and we are proud that it has been at the core of our arts program for more than 20 years.” We raise our glass to Simone and here’s to another 20.
Simone Leigh’s exhibition opens at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York in April 2019.
