The Cultural Institute of Radical Contemporary Arts (CIRCA) has announced the launch of the III edition of the CIRCA PRIZE 2023 — an initiative which invests in the future of art and culture by awarding £40,000 to support the next generation of creative talent globally.
Throughout September, 30 international artists will see their work appear at 20:23 local time on the iconic Piccadilly Lights and across the CIRCA global platform of digital screens. A CIRCA PRIZE Jury of artists and collaborators including Sir Frank Bowling, Douglas Gordon, Anne Imhof, Michèle Lamy, Shirin Neshat, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Josef O’Connor, Olu Odukoya, Sir Norman Rosenthal and Nadya Tolokonnikova (Pussy Riot) will collectively decide the winner. The winning artist will receive £30,000 to support their future practice alongside a new trophy designed by Ai Weiwei, who first launched the CIRCA free public art programme in October 2020.
A specially formed Curators’ Circle consisting of Erkan Affan, Nana Biamah-Ofosu, Vittoria de Franchis and Sooyoung Leam will support the CIRCA PRIZE Jury by selecting a top 3 from the final shortlist of 30 artists, for the Jury to then decide an overall winner.
An open call for emerging and mid-career artists of all ages, the CIRCA PRIZE invites a global community of artists, performers, poets, activists, architects, gamers and filmmakers to respond to the CIRCA 20:23 manifesto, ‘Hope: The Art of Reading What Is Not Yet Written’. Artists are required to submit a two-and-a-half-minute piece of new or pre-existing work. Previous CIRCA PRIZE winners include Joseph Wilson (CIRCA 20:21) and Mary Martins (CIRCA 20:22).
An online public vote, powered by Piccadilly Lights, will determine the winner of an additional £10,000. The CIRCA PRIZE and public vote winners will be announced at an award ceremony held in
Piccadilly Circus, London, during Frieze Week on 14 October 2023.
Josef O’Connor, Founder and Artistic Director at CIRCA said
With public art spaces closing, arts education being slashed and the cost of living crisis making a career in the arts seem impossible, the CIRCA PRIZE sets out to invest in the future of art and culture. None of this would be possible without the generosity of our artists and their unwavering support of the #CIRCAECONOMY – this prize is with thanks to them and everyone who purchased a print this past year.
The CIRCA PRIZE 2023 is generated entirely from the sale of #CIRCAECONOMY prints. Submissions
will close at midnight on Thursday 20th July 2023. To apply, click here.
