Giulia Cenci Wins Baloise Art Prize at Art Basel 2019

At Art Basel 2019, Italian artist Giulia Cenci (born 1988 in Cortona, lives in Amsterdam) won the Baloise Art Prize for her installation "territory," presented by SpazioA gallery from Pistoia in the Statements section. This marks the first time in 21 years that the prize has been awarded to an Italian artist. The second recipient was Chinese artist Xinyi Cheng, represented by French gallery Balice Hertling. Established in 1999, the Baloise Art Prize awards 30,000 Swiss francs to two emerging artists each year, with the winning works acquired by Baloise Group and donated to the Nationalgalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin and MUDAM Luxembourg. The 2019 jury comprised Marie-Noëlle Farcy, Gabriele Knapstein, Harald Falckenberg, Lionel Bovier, and Martin Schwander. "Territory" is an immersive installation combining sculptures, objects, and modified materials—including machine parts, engines, technological elements, marble dust, and clay—creating a chaotic, hybrid environment. SpazioA director Giuseppe Alleruzzo noted that a group of works entered the MUDAM collection, another group joined an important Italian foundation, and several entered private collections. He also revealed that Cenci has been invited by Palais de Tokyo curators to participate in an exhibition at the next Lyon Biennale.