Anna Boghiguian Awarded Prestigious German Prize
By Sharon Lee
Portrait of ANNA BOGHIGUIAN. Courtesy Museum Ludwig, Cologne.
The 30th edition of the Wolfgang Hahn Prize has been awarded to artist Anna Boghiguian, who will take home EUR 100,000 (USD 105,000) and have her work displayed and acquired by the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, the award’s facilitator. The award ceremony will take place in November 2024, during Art Cologne.
Boghiguian, born in Cairo and of Armenian heritage, first studied political science and economics at the American University in Cairo and later art and music in Montreal. Known for her murals, paintings, drawings, and large-scale installations, Boghiguian investigates how histories have shaped the human condition through global commerce, slavery, colonialism, and war. The 77-year-old artist rose to international prominence with her participation in various biennales since the Sharjah Biennial in 2011, including her presentations for the Kassel’s Documenta 13 in 2012, Armenia Pavilion at the Venice Biennial in 2015 and in the Istanbul Biennial in 2015, the Biennale of Sydney in 2019, and Manifesta 13, in Marseille, in 2020.
The Wolfgang Hahn Prize is awarded annually by the Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst to honor contemporary artists who are internationally recognized but have yet to receive acclaim in Germany. Named after the Cologne-based collector and conservator Wolfgang Hahn (1924–1987), the prize's jury consists of the Director of the Museum Ludwig, a guest member, and the members of the Executive Board of the Gesellschaft. Yilmaz Dziewior, director of the Museum Ludwig, said in a statement that he was “extremely pleased” that the award will go to Boghiguian and added, “If she were to make a new work for the museum, following her fundamental artistic practice, this would be extremely gratifying and exciting.”
Boghiguian is scheduled to present the solo exhibition “Time of Change” at the Power Plant in Toronto from October 13 to January 7, 2024. The exhibition will feature a combination of installations and drawings inspired by her travels throughout Canada and the world.
Sharon Lee is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.
