Free Aesthetica Art Prize Lunchtime Talk: Connecting Audiences with Talent

The Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition is currently on show at York St Mary’s, highlighting the work of 10 contemporary artists, selected out of thousands of entries. Every Thursday, the Art Prize welcomes speakers from the art world to expand upon the exhibition in a series of dynamic lunchtime talks, which are open to the public and free to attend.

The third talk in the series is Connecting Audiences with Artistic Talent, running on Thursday 28 April from 12:30 until approximately 13:00. In this talk, the team behind the Aesthetica Art Prize offers an insight into the selection process and provides attendees with an opportunity to learn more about the 2016 artists. A celebration of excellence in art from across the world, the award showcases the work of emerging and established practitioners. This session highlights Aesthetica’s role in supporting talent and connecting artists with new audiences.

A platform for innovation and originality, the Aesthetica Art Prize welcomes an international community to its 2016 exhibition. To mark its 9th year, the award invites audiences to engage with some of today’s key cultural, social, political, environmental and economic themes through a selection of shortlisted works in the following categories: Photographic & Digital Art; Three Dimensional Design & Sculpture; Painting & Drawing; and Video, Installation & Performance.

From ecological concerns to transitions in urbanisation and developments in technology, this year’s presentation instigates a cohesive commentary on the way we inhabit the Earth. Questions of material and personal value align with definitions of virtual and physical realms; depictions of natural landscapes defy tangible realities; and an awareness of time is envisaged in elements of light and sound.

Incorporating the projects of 10 shortlisted artists, with a further 90 pieces displayed on monitors, the 2016 edition is the award’s largest exhibition to date and welcomes practitioners from Austria, Canada, Germany, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, the UK and the USA. Ranging from site-specific installations to new experiments with light and digital technologies, the showcase is an inspiring example of the calibre of works submitted to the Prize.

Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition, York St Mary’s, Castlegate, York, YO1 9RN. 14 April – 29 May, Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm-4pm. Free Admission. More details at: www.yorkstmarys.org.uk.

For more information about the talks, visit www.aestheticamagazine.com/art-prize/exhibition-2016

Credits
1. Susan Philips. Aesthetica Art Prize 2016 Longlist. Courtesy of the artist.