Inga Somdyala was announced as the winner of the overall Artist Award at the inaugural MTN X UJ New Contemporary Awards on 25 November, while Nkule Mabaso’s curatorial excellence was acknowledged with the Legacy Panel Special Award.
The event, which was hosted at the Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre at the University of Johannesburg’s Kingsway Campus celebrated the vision of curator Khanya Mashabela and her four artists – Inga Somdyala, Thandiwe Msebenzi, Callan Grecia, and Natalie Paneng.
Themed New Beginnings: Nurturing our Digital Imaginations the event highlighted the impetus behind this unique art competition which is aimed at identifying, supporting, mentoring, and promoting curator and worthy artists or collaboratives who have not yet received critical acclaim.
The MTN X UJ New Contemporary Awards is strongly linked to UJ and MTN’s focus on digital technologies, 4IR, and youth development. The bi-annual nationwide competition places a strong emphasis on digital media, with a focus on innovative ways and digital solutions that can contribute towards art education and skills development among young South African artists.
This year, over a period of five months, the selected artists worked closely with the 2022 curator, Khanya Mashabela, in developing and presenting a collaborative vision that has seen each artist come into their own.
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