NN Art Award 2022 for Vytautas Kumža

On 18 May, the NN Art Award was presented for the sixth time at Art Rotterdam. The art prize was awarded to Vytautas Kumža of gallery Martin van Zomeren and consists of an amount of EUR 10,000. The winner was announced during the official opening of Art Rotterdam in the Van Nelle Fabriek in Rotterdam.

Dailah Nihot, member of the NN Group Management Board: ‘With the NN Art Award, we want to give a platform to exceptional talent. The diversity, quality and creativity of artists who have received training in the Netherlands is impressive and inspiring. We are proud to be able to support these artists.’

Vytautas Kumža: ‘This award allows me to experiment even more with confidence, because experiments don’t always work, and this prize gives me more possibilities and freedom to go further.’

Public Choice Award

Just like last year, art lovers and Art Rotterdam visitors can also vote for their favourite artist. The artist with the most votes will receive the Public Choice Award and receives an amount of EUR 5,000. Voting is still possible via nn.nl/artaward (in Dutch) until Sunday 22 May 10.00 am. Visitors to Art Rotterdam can also vote at the NN stand during the fair from Wednesday 18 May to Saturday 21 May. In the NN stand art work of the four nominated artists are displayed. The winner of the Public Choice Award 2022 will be announced on Sunday 22 May at 17:00.

Submissions and criteria

Galleries submitted works of 30 different artists to be considered for the award. Four nominees were chosen by the jury:

Inez de Brauw – Brinkman & Bergsma
Vytautas Kumža – Martin van Zomeren
Thierry Oussou – Lumen Travo Galerie
Jennifer Tee – Galerie Fons Welters

Jury 2022

The annually changing jury for this edition consisted of Yuki Kho (culture journalist), Alexandra Landré (artistic director Stroom, The Hague), Charl Landvreugd (head of research & curatorial practice, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam), Erik Mattijssen (artist and winner NN Art Award 2021), and Elisah van den Bergh (curator NN Art Collection). The most important criteria that the jury takes into account are the completion of an art education at a Dutch academy, high-quality work, and an authentic and innovative visual language with new perspectives. The artist's work must also be on display at the Art Rotterdam fair.

From the report: ‘The jury appreciates the sharpness that Kumža presents in his works. It feels dangerous yet delicate. He plays with the viewer’s perception and evokes an almost unpleasant physical reaction. At the same time, it is impossible to avert your gaze. You want to understand it, solve it, give it meaning. Although the work is based in illusions, it also instructs you in how to engage in dialogue. The size of the works reinforces this oppressive feeling. Kumža goes beyond the literal nature of his medium. The jury finds this artist’s growth impressive and is curious how far he dares to go in exploring and challenging all boundaries.’

Art Fair Art Rotterdam

Art Rotterdam takes place this year from 18 to 22 May in Rotterdam. Art Rotterdam is the linchpin of Art Rotterdam Week. For five days, the Van Nelle Fabriek is the setting for the latest developments in the visual arts.

Partnership NN Group and Art Rotterdam

NN Group (including Nationale-Nederlanden) has been a partner of art fair Art Rotterdam since 2017. As a supporter of all art explorers, NN is committed to enthusing a wider audience for art and culture. As a supporter of talent, NN also gives artists the opportunity and a platform to inspire others. NN has a long history of cultural sponsorship in the cities where NN has offices; Rotterdam, The Hague and Arnhem. The focus is on visual arts, museums and music. By investing in culture, NN connects with local communities, meets customers, inspires employees and customers and gets them moving.