Barclays L’Atelier Competition Open for Submissions from Ambitious Young African Artistes

For the first time in its 30-year history, L’Atelier will be expanded to include emerging visual artists from Africa. Historically, the prestigious contemporary art competition was held in South Africa and only local artists were eligible to enter.

From 2015, artists aged 21 to 35 in South Africa as well as Botswana, Zambia, Ghana and Kenya are invited to take part in the art competition, which has carved a reputation for itself as a significant event in the lives of up-and-coming artists, providing an ideal springboard for any artist looking to further develop their career.

Sponsored by Barclays Africa and supported locally by Kuona Trust, L’Atelier is renowned for its role in inspiring, motivating and promoting young and emerging artists. The competition has become a much-anticipated annual highlight on the calendars of emerging artists who rely on the exposure their work receives from the countrywide exhibitions and the exhibition catalogue, both of which play an important part in furthering their budding careers.

The Barclays Africa custodianship of L’Atelier will enable the competition to reach new heights in 2015 as it is opened up to artists from neighbouring countries.

Five coveted art residency prizes are awarded to the winners, including the main prize, three merit award prizes and the Gerard Sekoto Award for the most promising artist.

The three merit awards include (1) a two-month residency on the Island of Sylt, Germany at the Sylt Foundation and the use of an apartment, return flights to Germany and a monthly stipend; (2) a one-month residency in New York at the Ampersand Foundation and the use of an apartment, return flights to New York and a Ampersand Foundation fellowship (this prize is for South African citizens only and non-Ampersand Fellows); and (3) a three-month residency in South Africa, return flights to Johannesburg and a monthly stipend (this prize is for non-South African citizens).

The main prize includes R150 000 in cash from Barclays Africa and a return air ticket to Paris, France. The prize money must be used for the time of study of at least three months, but not for more than six months, in the studio apartment purchased for this purpose at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. Upon the winner’s return to South Africa, they will be invited to have a solo exhibition in the Absa Gallery in Johannesburg.

The Alliance Française, the French Institute and the French Embassy are sponsoring the Gerard Sekoto Award for the most promising South African artist with an income of less than R60 000 per annum. This prize consists of a return air ticket to Paris, three months’ stay in the Cité Internationale des Arts, nationwide touring exhibitions and training in French. The Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris residencies are made available by SANAVA.

All the top 10 finalists in the competition will attend a two-day art professionalism course in Johannesburg that will assist them in managing their careers. Each finalist will also be paired with a mentor who will work with them for a year.

The competition is open to self-taught or professionally trained artists aged 21 to 35 in Kenya. Artists participating in the competition must be resident​s​ in the country in order to enter. Entries are open from 15th January 2015 until 6th March 2015, and all works being entered must be delivered to Kuona Trust between 02 and 06 March 2015 as outlined on the L’Atelier website.

Call 0721262326​ or email info@kuonatrust.org ​for further information.