The three nominees for the Dolf Henkes Prize 2012 presented existing and new work in TENT: Carla Klein, Renie Spoelstra and Gyz La Rivière. The Dolf Henkes Prize is one of the larger Dutch prizes in the field of visual arts and is awarded every two years to an iconic Rotterdam artist.
This incentive prize from the estate of Rotterdam artist Dolf Henkes (1903-1989) is intended for an artist who is just as iconic as the namesake himself. Previous winners of the prize were Jeroen Eisinga, Erik van Lieshout, Melvin Moti and Lara Almarcegui. The winner of this 2012 edition was Gyz La Rivière.
Carla Klein (Zwolle, 1970) paints landscapes, industrial areas and tranquil cityscapes based on photographic material. Her works are often large, monochrome in colour and painted in a typical grey-blue colour palette. The compositions emphasise the process of printing and processing photography into painting, which results in an abstraction of the image.
Gyz La Rivière (Rotterdam, 1976) is a multidisciplinary artist who explores the boundaries of art by seeking connections with mass media and popular culture. He makes films, books, installations and performances in which the city of Rotterdam often plays the leading role. La Rivière depicts the metropolitan problems of Rotterdam in energetic art projects and catchy publications. For example, he published the controversial book Rotterdam 2040, in which he philosophizes about the future of his favorite city based on its special past.
Renie Spoelstra (Drachten, 1974) is a master of stillness. She makes monumental charcoal drawings in which the climax is deliberately absent. Based on photos and video stills of nature and recreation areas, she makes her impressive drawings in which details, time and characteristics of the place have disappeared. The result is a universal representation of dark forest landscapes with a restrained tension that is so typical of her work.
Jury
The jury of the Dolf Henkes Prize 2012 consisted of Joop van Caldenborgh (chairman), Lara Almarcegui (visual artist, winner of the Dolf Henkes Prize 2010), Sandra Smets (art critic) and Wilma Sütö (curator of the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam).
From the jury report
“The presentations of the three nominees are evenly matched. All do not shy away from the grand gesture and provide a glimpse of the contemporary world: Carla Klein by means of her photographic views and Renie Spoelstra in her dark recreational landscapes. Gyz La Rivière convinces the jury the most with his innovative art in which he connects history, humour and his critical view with the city of Rotterdam and the world beyond. In La Rivière we see a modern version of the idiosyncratic namesake of the prize, artist Dolf Henkes, who, like La Rivière, feels connected to Rotterdam and is not afraid to explore new paths. Gyz makes the city swing again and makes art that no one has made before him. La Rivière is the rightful winner of the Dolf Henkes Prize 2012 and the associated 12.000 euros.”