Colombian sculptor Doris Salcedo to receive Nasher Prize
A Colombian artist known for sculpture and installations dealing with crisis, tragedy and death that evoke universal empathy will receive the inaugural Nasher Prize, the Nasher Sculpture Center announced Wednesday.
Doris Salcedo is a native of Bogota, where she lives and works. She will receive the $100,000 prize and a commemorative award designed by architect Renzo Piano on April 2 in Dallas.
We created the Nasher Prize to recognize an artist whose work has enriched our vision of what sculpture can be.
Nasher director Jeremy Strick
She was selected by a jury that included curators, artists, art historians and museum directors such as Sir Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate in London, and Steve Nash, a former Nasher director.
The Nasher plans to give the award annually to a living artist.
“We created the Nasher Prize to recognize an artist whose work has enriched our vision of what sculpture can be,” center director Jeremy Strick said.
“Over the course of the past 30 years, through [Salcedo’s] use of meaningful, everyday materials, often in unexpected and socially charged public space … Salcedo has created a body of work that is both aesthetically striking and politically resonant.”
The jury convened in London for a day of deliberations before agreeing on the winner.
“There was a lot of discussion about how to set up an award for ongoing relevance,” Strick said. “The jury wanted to balance historical impact with the relevance of the artist’s contribution … to the present moment. Who are the figures inspiring young artists today?”
In the midst of violence, in the midst of political conflict, there is room for thought and room for producing art that is meaningful to us all.
Nasher Prize winner Doris Salcedo
Salcedo sent a video response to the announcement: “I believe my task as an artist is to make connections — to connect worlds that normally are unconnected, like art and politics, like the experience of the lost lives of victims of political violence with the experience and memories of the viewers who approach or contemplate the work — and I think the prize will widen this audience.
“In the midst of violence, in the midst of political conflict, there is room for thought and room for producing art that is meaningful to us all.”
Salcedo’s solo exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City will be on view through Oct. 12.
Gaile Robinson: 817-390-7113, @GaileRobinson
This story was originally published October 1, 2015 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Colombian sculptor Doris Salcedo to receive Nasher Prize."