In announcing the award, Fundació Joan Miró cited her use of an “interdisciplinary artistic practice based on archival research to deactivate and rethink hegemonic narratives that have defined the course of global history ever since the beginning of colonization.”
The Prize, designed for an early- or mid-career artist at a critical point in their professional life and generally awarded biennially, returned in 2023 after a brief pandemic hiatus with lead support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). It is organized by Fundació Joan Miró to recognize an artist whose work resonates with the values and honors the legacy of Barcelona-born Miró. Part of that legacy was Miró’s lifelong commitment to supporting younger artists, and the 2023 Prize added a new element of inviting primary school and university design students to engage creatively with the work of the artists recognized.
Kiwanga’s work will be shown next year in a dedicated exhibition at Fundació Joan Miró, as the work of 2023 winner Tuan Andrew Nguyen was displayed in 2024.
“At SNF, we believe that art is not just a mirror of our world—it can also be a tool for reshaping it. Kapwani Kiwanga’s work embodies this idea,” said SNF Program Officer Aurélie at the ceremony in Barcelona where this ninth edition of the prize was announced. “With great sensitivity and insight, she creates spaces that bring hidden histories to light and invites us to think more deeply about the legacies that shape our everyday lives. Her art moves us, but also challenges us. And that may be the most powerful thing art can do.”
