AICA Incentive Prize for Young Critics: Franck Hermann Ekra
At the General Assembly of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA), in Paris, on Saturday 23 October, Professor Yacouba Konaté, the International President of the Association, announced the first
winner of the Association’s new Incentive Prize for Young Critics to be:
Franck Hermann Ekra for his review L’Envol du Sankofa [The Flight of the Sankofa], of the 9th Dak’Art Biennial of Contemporary African Art, 2010.
And the runners-up to be:
1. Ugochukwu-Smooth Nzewi
2. Vichinie Suos
There was a total of 8 entries from young critics currently living in different countries. The prize consists of a fully paid trip for the winner to attend, and take part in, the next AICA Congress, in autumn 2011, at a
location that has yet to be confirmed.
In congratulating the prize-winner, Professor Konaté, who had kept back his vote, for the eventuality of a tiebreak in the final run-off between the competitors, commented on the enthusiastic response to this new AICA initiative and the high quality of work submitted by the 8 entrants (7 of them, writing in French and 1 in English).
Tineke Reijnders, the Chair of the international jury, composed of AICA members, stated that “Franck Hermann Ekra succeeds in sketching broad views on history, culture, the economics of art and
Africanism. At the same time he sheds a sensitive light on individual artworks and concepts. His style is eloquent.”
The prize-winning contribution by Franck Hermann Ekra will be published on the AICA website at
http://www.aica-int.org/spip.php?rubrique398
on Monday 1 November 2010, along with the contributions of
the two runners-up and a short outline of the programme of the Biennial by the young Senegalese writer, Cheikh Diop.
Notes for Editors.
AICA’s new Incentive Prize for Young Critics was advertised via e-mails and on the Internet, and officially launched at the 9th Dak’Art Biennial of Contemporary African Art, held in Dakar, Senegal, from 7 May to 7 June 2010. Competitors from all parts of the world, aged between 18 and 40, were invited to write a review of from 1000 to 2000 words on the
latest edition of Dak’Art, in one of AICA’s three official languages (English, French, Spanish). The jury consisted of 5 Board members of the International Association, as follows: Tineke Reijnders (NL), Chair; Marie-Pascale Gildemyn (BE); Yacouba Konaté (Open Section), International President of AICA); Henry Meyric Hughes (UK); Irini Savvani
(GR); Maria-Teresa Beguiristain (SP).
Short c.v.s of the prizewinner, the two short listed candidates and Cheik Diop are given below:
Franck Hermann Ekra (winner, writing in French)
Franck H. Ekra is a consultant in image strategy and an independent curator and art critic. He divides his time between Paris and
Abidjan. Ekra was educated at the Centre for Historical Research (CRH) in the School of Advanced Studies in the Social
Sciences, in Paris (EHESS) and at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Letters, Arts and Traditions (CÉLAT) at the University of Laval, in Quebec, where he worked as a research and teaching assistant. His special interests include processes of memorialisation, power relationships, representational practices and the social imagination. Franck Ekra has taken part in international conferences in Africa, America and Europe and contributed to individual and publications and anthologies.’
Ugochukwu-Smooth Nzewi (first runner-up, writing in English)
Nzewi was educated in Nigeria and South Africa, and is currently a Ph.D student in Art History at Emory University, USA. In
addition to publishing critical reviews and essays in Nigeria and internationally, he has participated, as a visual, in international
exhibitions, artists’ residencies and workshops in Africa, Europe and the United States.
Vichinie Suos (second runner-up, writing in French)
Suos was educated at the University of Dijon and the University of Strasbourg. She lives in Dijon, France.
Cheikh Diop
Diop has written a compte rendu of Dak’Art in French. He is a writer, painter and experienced teacher who is currently also
studying at the Ecole des Arts in Dakar.
For further information and enquiries, please address Anne-Claude Morice: aica.office@gmail.com