THE ŠKODA PRIZE announces ‘Call for Entry’ for its 3rd edition

                                                                                                                                                                                       

  THE ŠKODA PRIZE announces ‘Call for Entry’ for its 3rd edition

ü    Applications to the prestigious ŠKODA Prize for Indian Contemporary art will be open from June 30, 2012.

Bangalore – June 22, 2012: Launched in 2009, by ŠKODA Auto India and Seventy EMG, The ŠKODA Prize is recognized as one of the most of influential platforms for Indian contemporary art. Call for entry begins on June 30^th, applications are available onwww.theskodaprize.com and will be accepted until 31st August 2012.

The prize brings together a diverse pool of nominees from across India and includes internationally recognized artists as well as newer talents. Nominees need to be below the age of 45, and should have had a solo show in the country over the last 12 months; they will have demonstrated sustained vision, innovation, and a mature understanding of material and form through their careers.    

The winner takes away the prestigious ‘The ŠKODA Prize Winner’ title and also receives a prize money of INR 10,00,000. Runners-up are invited to participate in international residencies supported by Prohelvetia, the Swiss Arts Council. Visited by thousands every year, The ŠKODA Prize Top 20 exhibition (which takes place alongside the India Art Fair in New Delhi) showcases country's most promising contemporary artists.

Juried by a panel of notable personalities and supported by museums and cultural institutions of international repute, The ŠKODA Prize presents a unique vantage point to engage with some of the most exciting developments in Indian contemporary art today. The jury members of The ŠKODA Prize in the past have included collector Mrs. Kiran Nadar, Mrs. Tasneem Mehta, (Managing Trustee and Honorary Director, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum), artist Vivan Sundaram, Pooja Sood, (Director of Khoj), Heike Munder (Director of the Migros Museum für gegenwartskunst, Zürich) who was also on the jury for this year's Turner Prize, while renowned artists Marc Quinn, and Turner Prize winner Anish Kapoor have presented awards to past winners Mithu Sen (2010) and Navin Thomas (2011).

In 2011, The SKODA Prize platform was extended to create a prize for artists at the beginning of their careers with The Breakthrough Artist Award – which recognizes younger artists under the age of 35 - based on their debut solo exhibitions in India. The Breakthrough Artist Award is supported by highly regarded publication Art India (over a decade old magazine). Through its association with ART India, The SKODA Prize also supports the development on critical dialogue, and writing about Indian contemporary art. Mr. Girish Shahane, Art Critic, Curator and Director, Art for The SKODA Prize for Indian Contemporary Art, said “We aim to build on the reputation the award has established as a benchmark of artistic quality, while also attracting more new voices through the Breakthrough Artist Award”.

The last date for applying for the Breakthrough Artist Award is 30 October 2012, please send in your entries to

Art India Publishing Co Pvt Ltd, c/o JSW Steel Ltd, Victoria Mills Compound, P.B.Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai-400013.

Tel: 022-24917961

About The ŠKODA Prize

The ŠKODA Prize is most prestigious award on the Indian visual arts scene. It recognises cutting-edge work demonstrating vision, innovation, and a mature understanding of material and form. The Prize brings to public notice exciting trends in contemporary art, highlighting the output of established mid-career artists as well as new voices. It is backed by jurors of impeccable credentials, renowned patron institutions, a dedicated group of advisors, and a management team of proven capability. The ŠKODA Prize is a Seventy EMG Arts Initiative.