All-female, non-German shortlist sparks controversy at Preis der Nationalgalerie 2017
The shortlist for the 2017 Preis der Nationalgalerie featured four female artists: Sol Calero, Iman Issa, Jumana Manna, and Agnieszka Polska. Their exhibition took place at Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin from 29 September to 14 January. Soon after the opening, the nominees voiced their concerns about the museum's use of their work for political correctness and sponsorship, emphasizing that they were not compensated. Calero showcased Amazonas Shopping Center (2017), Issa presented Heritage Studies (2015–17), Manna exhibited A Magical Substance Flows into Me (2015), and Polska unveiled What the Sun Has Seen (Version II) (2017), ultimately winning the prize, which sparked criticism for misinterpreting Documenta 14's impact. The jury emphasized themes of globalization, precarity, and cultural heritage.
Key facts
- All four shortlisted artists for the 2017 Preis der Nationalgalerie are women not born in Germany.
- The exhibition took place at Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin from 29 September 2017 to 14 January 2018.
- The artists published a statement against the museum, accusing it of instrumentalizing them for political correctness and sponsorship.
- Sol Calero's Amazonas Shopping Center installation includes a telenovela filmed with Dafna Maimon.
- Iman Issa's Heritage Studies features geometric sculptures with text labels describing 'mental prints' of antiquity.
- Jumana Manna's video A Magical Substance Flows into Me documents Palestinian musicians based on Robert Lachmann's research.
- Agnieszka Polska won the prize with her animated film What the Sun Has Seen (Version II), despite reviewer criticism.
- The review suggests the prize decision was influenced by Documenta 14, favoring political art that 'behaves itself'.
Entities
Artists
- Sol Calero
- Iman Issa
- Jumana Manna
- Agnieszka Polska
- Guillaume Bijl
- Dafna Maimon
- Robert Lachmann
Institutions
- Preis der Nationalgalerie
- Hamburger Bahnhof
- ArtReview
- Documenta 14
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Caracas
- Cairo
- Princeton
- Palestine