Monali Meher receives NN Art Award 2023
On 8 February, the NN Art Award 2023 was presented for the seventh time at Art Rotterdam, a contemporary art event in the Netherlands. The award is granted to an exceptional talent who had their training and education in the Netherlands. The art prize was bestowed to Monali Meher from the Lumen Travo Gallery.
As part of the award, Meher will receive EUR 10,000 to invest in the production of new work. Further, NN Group will purchase an art piece from nominees Salim Bayri, Kévin Bray or Laura Jatkowski for its own art collection.
Monali Meher together with Fleur Hudig during Art Rotterdam
Monali Meher: ‘It’s a very special moment for me, I will cherish it and am deeply honoured to have been awarded the NN Art Award 2023. The prize opens new doors for me and I can continue to invest in my work to create art that raises awareness about the world and comment on its wonders and disasters.’
For Meher, time is the main subject, medium and purpose of her artistic practice. From continuity, repetition and temporality to volatility and immortality, it constructs and distorts. The jury thought her work is poetic and cyclical. She moves you; in circles of destruction and renewal, in circles of personal and universal, and in circles of vulnerability and strength. She is an expert in using different media to convey her stories. Meher uses the natural qualities of her materials and deforms them to transform the space around them. From glass art to the use of herbs, from photography to performances, she masters it.
Fleur Hudig, Head of Corporate Citizenship at NN Group shares: ‘The NN Art Award provides artistic talent a platform to present their latest works. The story of each artists journey is impressive and inspirational. With our award we hope to encourage artists to further explore their capabilities and create pieces to convey a new point of view. The way Meher used raw materials for her art pieces is thought provoking. It shows how art can contribute to raising awareness about a circular economy, and at the same time it demonstrates how the reuse of materials can create something beautiful while contributing to a more sustainable world.’
Jury 2023
This year the jury consisted of:
Inez de Brauw – visual artist and winner of NN Art Award Public Choice 2022
Yolande van der Heide – curator at Van Abbemuseum
Ali Keles - collector and Managing Partner at Lakeside Capital Partners
Marina de Vries - editor-in-chief of Museum magazine
Elisah van den Bergh - former curator of the NN Art Collection
Nominees 2023
The four nominees of the NN Art Award 2023 were:
Salim Bayri – Prospects, Mondriaan Fund
Kévin Bray – Upstream Gallery
Laura Jatkowski – Prospects, Mondriaan Fund
Monali Meher – Lumen Travo Gallery
Partnership NN Group and Art Rotterdam
NN Group has been a partner of Art Rotterdam since 2017 and awards this yearly prize to a contemporary art talent with an authentic visual angle and innovative perspective. As a supporter of talent, NN believes it’s important to give artists the opportunity and a platform to inspire others. NN has a long history of cultural sponsorships in the cities where NN has offices; Rotterdam, The Hague and Arnhem with a focus on visual arts, museums and music. By investing in culture, NN connects with local communities, meets customers, inspires employees and clients whilst encouraging art explorers to widen their horizons.
