Diana Policarpo is the winner of the 21st edition of the illy Present Future Prize

Torino, 5 November 2021 – Diana Policarpo is the winner of the 21st edition of the illy Present Future Prize, promoted by illycaffè since 2001 and assigned to the most interesting artist of Present Future, the section of Artissima dedicated to emerging talents.

The artist is presented by LEHMANN + SILVA in Porto.

The prize has been awarded today by an international jury composed of Aaron Cezar, director, Delfina Foundation, London, Hou Hanru, artistic director, MAXXI Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo, Roma, Kathryn Weir, director, MADRE Museo d’Arte Donnaregina, Napoli with this motivation:

A strong present sense of systemic crisis has moved many artists of the post-1980 generation towards research-based approaches that denaturalise this system in historical perspective and look to develop alternatives. In her practice, Diana Policarpo interweaves apparently opposing perspectives and conceptual frameworks, intelligently mobilizing various strategies and media, from text to video, through sound and spatial arrangement. She creates environments in which audiences are invited to explore the hallucinatory worlds she conjures. In her work, the jury members recognise one of the key currents in contemporary practice.

In 2021 Present Future, online on the Artissima XYZ platform supported by Fondazione Compagnia di Sanpaolo and at the fair with an exhibition of selected works, showcases 10 artists presented by 10 galleries (8 international, 2 Italian) selected by a committee composed of Ilaria Gianni, independent curator and writer based in Roma, and Fernanda Brenner, independent curator and writer based in Sao Paulo, Brasil.

Assigned to the most innovative submitted project, the illy Present Future Prize has always been a platform for the discovery of new talents. In 2020 the Prize was assigned to the Puerto Rican artist Radamés “Juni” Figueroa, represented by the gallery Proyectos Ultravioleta of Guatemala City, for the ability to combine art-making with lessons in living, in coexistence. For Artissima 2021, Figueroa has conceived the Caribbean bar Nunca encontramos a Satoshi (2021), a colorful, bright work of architecture, a vernacular location that functions simultaneously as a dance floor and a gathering point.

The award ceremony of illy Present Future was held in the illy Caffè space, created specifically for the fair, where visitors can taste the unique illy blend consisting of 9 types of 100% Arabica coffee of sustainable quality.
Thanks to the progressive outlook of illycaffè, the illy Present Future Prize makes an important contribution to the success of emerging artists, reflecting the active role played by Artissima to support emerging international talent.  illy is the global coffee brand recognized for having created a special partnership with the world of contemporary art, through which it expresses its own ideal of beauty. The beauty the company refers to reflects the ancient Greek concept of kalokagathìa, which states that beauty and goodness are one and the same.

The prestigious prize, now in its 21th edition, has accompanied Artissima in the discovery and enhancement of emerging talents, has involved key artists such as Shizuka Yokomizo (2001), Padraig Timoney (2002), Phil Collins (2003), Manuele Cerutti (2004), Michael Beutler (2005), Sergio Prego (2006), Patricia Esquivias (2007), Mateo Tannatt (2008), Luca Francesconi (2009), Melanie Gilligan (2010), Dina Danish (2011), Naufus Ramirez-Figueroa/Vanessa Safavi/Santo Tolone (2012), Caroline Achaintre and Fatma Bucak (2013), Rachel Rose (2014), Alina Chaiderov (2015), Cécile B. Evans (2016), Cally Spooner (2017), Pedro Neves Marques (2018), aaajiao (2019) and Radamés “Juni” Figueroa (2020).


ARTISSIMA - International Fair of Contemporary Art
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Oval, Lingotto Fiere Torino
4 November 2021 | preview
5–7 November 2021 | open to public

Artissima XYZ
1–3 November 2021 | preview
4–9 November 2021 | online

Artissima is Italy’s leading fair of contemporary art. Since its founding in 1994, it has combined presence on the international market with a vivid focus on experimentation and research.
The fair is managed by Artissima srl, a company affiliated with Fondazione Torino Musei. The Artissima trademark belongs to Regione Piemonte, Città Metropolitana di Torino and Città di Torino. The 28th edition of Artissima is produced with the support of the three trademark holders, in collaboration with Fondazione CRT, Fondazione per l’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo and Camera di commercio di Torino.


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