The Paper Art Award 2023 – presented annually by Fine Art Printing manufacture d’mage, Canon and Hahnemühle – will honour five positions for the first time and show them at Berlin’s ‘Haus des Papiers’ from 8 June 2023. It is the first private museum for visual paper art dedicated exclusively to contemporary sculptural paper art. It does not show art ON paper, such as drawings or paintings, but art OF paper. The material paper is presented as a primary visual and creative medium in its surprising diversity and boundless creative potential. D’mage, Canon and Hahnemühle have built a house in Berlin for the sensual, distinctive and changeable material.
Embossed & Tossed – the Paper Art Award 2023 winners
The winners of the 3rd Paper Art Award are now moving into the ‘Haus des Papiers’. It was awarded at the end of April at paper positions berlin and honours international positions of contemporary visual art made of paper. “As the title ‘Embossed and Tossed’ suggests, visitors can expect various techniques of paper embossing, but also fascinating positions that have been tossed, thrown together, crumpled, glued, sewn – works full of power and esprit,” announces Annette Berr, director of the ‘Haus des Papiers’.
The decision of the eight-member jury of experts for the Paper Art Award in Gold was clearly in favour of Ursula Sax, represented by Semjon Contemporary, whom the jury honoured for her artistic life’s achievment. In her laudatory speech, Annette Berr, Director of the Museum Haus des Papiers, paid tribute to Ursula Sax as a “grand dame of sculptural paper art” with the words: “In her very own works – coming from sculpture – she understands how to realise large, expressive, expansive forms with the material paper. She is a pioneer for women in the visual arts and the Paper Art Award jury is pleased to be able to purchase her paper art with the prize money for the collection of the ‘Haus des Papiers’ in Berlin.”
The Silver award was split for the first time this year and awarded to Gisoo Kim, represented by mianki Gallery, and Amparo Sard, represented by Anita Beckers Gallery. According to the jury, the Paper Art Award in Silver was split to “recognise the very different but very independent artistic paths of the equally highly rated artists Gisoo Kim and Amparo Sard.”
The Bronze Award recognised two very distinctive approaches to paper not as a vehicle for art but as a work of art itself, and is intended to encourage the artists thus honoured to pursue them further. The Bronze Award was shared by Brian Dettmer, represented by the Commeter Gallery, and Ken’ichiro Taniguchi, represented by Mikiko Sato Gallery.
Paper Art Award since 2021
The prize, which is awarded annually at the art fair paper positions berlin, is the most highly endowed art prize for sculptural paper art with a total of 36,000 euros. It was initiated by the Fine Art Print Manufaktur d’mage, which has already been realising the Paper Residencies in cooperation with Hahnemühle and Canon Germany since 2018. The three companies jointly sponsor the Paper Art Award with the aim of honouring first-class artistic positions that deal with the material paper in an outstanding, impulsive and independent way.
