The Austrian artist Oliver Laric has won this year’s Contemporary Art Society Award, picking up a £60,000 cheque, in what is seen as a career-changing accolade. It is quite a novel award, as it is also serves as a commission that allows the winner to create a new work of art.
Laric, who is considered one of the most interesting contemporary artists to have emerged in recent times, was chosen as this year’s winner by a judging panel that included Michelle Cotton, senior curator at Firstsite in Colchester; Chris Hammond, director at MOT International in London; Moira Jeffrey, an arts-based writer; and Toby Ziegler, known for his interest in geometry and digital technologies.
Paul Hobson, director of the Contemporary Art Society, described Laric as being at a critical juncture in his career – this award is a huge springboard to wider, international fame.
The 31-year-old artist is to scan all of the works at The Collection and Usher Gallery, from which he will then create a sculptural collage. He will also make the duplicated images available to the public for free, with no copyright restrictions, to encourage others to make their own art.
“It’s great to be able to give an artist their ‘big break’ and I’m sure Oliver will go on to great things,” commented Jonathan Platt, head of libraries and heritage at Lincolnshire County Council.
“The Collection is a museum for the twenty-first century, and the cutting edge technology involved in this commission certainly demonstrates this. By using the latest advances in 3D scanning and printing technology, we’ll be able to recreate Oliver’s work anywhere in the world, which is an incredibly exciting prospect.”
Cadogan Tate has extensive experience in shipping fine art all over the world.