Jordan Herregraven (painting), Sara de Greef (dance) and Naomi van der Linden (dramatic arts) are the winners of this year’s Piket Art Prizes. Tim Terpstra was awarded the Piket Jury Prize. The names of the winners were announced during the awards ceremony in Theater Diligentia last Monday. The Piket Art Prizes winners will receive 8,000 Euros and a trophy.
The jury describes Jordan Herregraven in the following manner: “Jordan does not shy away from major themes, and is remarkable for his original choice of materials and the command he displays in working with them. Rigorous in a quiet way, he manages to build his own universe in which everything falls into place. His work is intuitive, but at the same time totally convincing in its integrity and authenticity. He is averse to fads and trends and pursues his own path, presenting his viewers with something they have never seen before. Jordan’s work is a discovery.”
According to the jury Sara de Greef is a natural-born creator. “She has this irrepressible urge to create dance. Sara is also a digital native, and documents this creative urge with a constant stream of online footage. She mostly creates for the dancer who is always available: Sara herself. With these intimate mini-choreographies she demonstrates that she is able to explore herself and how, in doing so, her work takes flight. In a strikingly natural way, she manages to transpose her ideas to her own body and express them. When working with others, she displays her own signature and a singular perfectionism, which is remarkable given her age. The Piket Art Prize is meant to encourage her development as a choreographer.”
“In a truly impressive way, Naomi has developed from a promising student with a beautiful voice to a fully-fledged professional, remarkable for her power, depth and commitment,” says the jury about Naomi van der Linden. “She knows what she is doing and what she stands for. She is not only active as a performer, but also as a maker. Here she shows another aspect of her artistic personality that is intriguing and deserves to be given attention and be challenged and encouraged.”
The Piket Jury Prize is awarded to a deserving individual for his or her cultural activities in the
Haaglanden region, particularly if these are aimed at or benefit young artists.
The jury on Tim Terpstra: “In his work for organizations such as TodaysArt, We Are Public and The Grey Space in the Middle, Tim has always aspired to engage the audience in less accessible, more daring art forms. Tim is someone who remains in the background, but behind the scenes he is eminently capable to motivate people and get things done. With his warmth, energy and enthusiasm he has made a valuable contribution to the development of We Are Public as a game changer for The Hague. The audience indeed appears to be willing to go into town and experience the unknown, even if it goes beyond familiar disciplines. Tim was among those who aroused this curiosity and gave the initiative its exceptional scope. Tim is too young to be able to consider the Piket Jury Prize an ‘oeuvre prize’ – it is meant to be a token of appreciation and encouragement.”
Nine young artists were nominated for the Piket Art Prizes. The Piket Art Prizes have been awarded annually since 2014 to young talents in the fields of painting, dance and dramatic arts who have a relationship with The Hague. A jury consisting of jury president Marjolein de Jong (former alderwoman for culture), Suzanne Swarts (Museum Voorlinden), Maarten Demmink (Demiak), Isabelle Chaffaud (Meyer-Chaffaud) Stacz Wilhelm (Korzo theater), David Geysen (Dégradé), and Antoinette Jelgersma (Het Nationale Theater), selected the nominees and chose the winners. This year’s Piket trophy was literally ‘in Hague hands’. The Hague artist Peter Zwaan created an award based on his own hands. Last year’s winners were artist Eden Latham, dancer Kinda Gozo, and actor/maker Jos Nargy. Apart from the cash prize and the trophy, winners are given the opportunity to meet the jury for an evaluative discussion concerning career advice and creative support.
Photo: Janneke van Beek, vertaling: Anna Beerens
