Shimbun), Sophie Calle (Photo: Yves Géant), Ang Lee (©︎ The Japan Art Association / The Sankei Shimbun), Maria João Pires (Photo: Shun Kambe. ©︎ The Japan Art Association) and Doris Salcedo (©︎ The Japan Art Association / The Sankei Shimbun)
Japan’s Praemium Imperiale has announced this year’s winners: Sophie Calle (70, France) in Painting, Doris Salcedo (65, Colombia) in Sculpture, Ang Lee (69, Taiwan) in Theatre/Film, Shigeru Ban (67, Japan) in Architecture and Maria João Pires (80, Portugal) in Music.
The laureates will each receive an honorarium of 15 million Yen (c. £73,000), given by the Japan Art Association under the patronage of HIH Prince Hitachi, younger brother of the Emperor Emeritus of Japan.
Alongside the Praemium Imperiale, the 5 million yen (c. £25,000) Grants for Young Artists, has been awarded to Indonesia’s first private cultural complex, the Komunitas Salihara Arts Center, Jakarta. Founded in 1995 during the country’s military regime, the 3,800-square-metre centre is devoted to promoting the visual arts, music, dance, theatre, literature and film, operating under the founding mission of upholding freedom of thought and expression, respecting diversity and nurturing artistic and intellectual resources.
Since 1989 the Praemium Imperiale has been awarded annually to artists who have made a major international impact in each of the five fields. Previous laureates include David Hockney, Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley, El Anatsui, Louise Bourgeois, Rebecca Horn, Ai Weiwei and Cy Twombly, among others.
