Bayerische Motoren Werke : Agnieszka Polska wins the Preis der Nationalgalerie 2017 – Sandra Wollner awarded for the Förderpreis für Filmkunst. BMW as exclusive partner.

The jury, consisting of Zdenka Badovinac, director of the Moderna galerija, Ljubljana; Hou Hanru, artistic director of the MAXXI Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo, Rome; Sheena Wagstaff, Leonard A. Lauder Chairman for Modern and Contemporary Art of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Sven Beckstette, curator at Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum für Gegenwart - Berlin; and Udo Kittelmann, director of the Nationalgalerie - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, decided after intensive discussions on Agnieszka Polska (born 1985 in Lublin) as the prize winner.

With the award Agnieszka Polska wins a major solo exhibition next year in one of the Nationalgalerie's institutions as well as an accompanying publication.

Jury statement:
'The jury congratulates each one of the artists for their excellent and thought-provoking exhibitions here at the Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum für Gegenwart - Berlin. After a robust discussion of all four artistic positions, the jury decided to award the Preis der Nationalgalerie 2017 to Agnieszka Polska. Throughout her work, Polska ingeniously interweaves some of the most pressing issues of our time. She deftly creates a poetic and affective relationship between the visual and acoustic language of our digitally infused daily lives by using contemporary imaginary and cultural references-including scientific theories, early animation, and the utopian inclination of the avant-garde. In her exploration of multiple temporalities within our universe she destabilizes the very notion of humanity and humanness. As the personification of the sun in her film states: 'My gaze was moving at constant speed, and everything was becoming irreversible the moment I observed it.' We look forward to seeing Agnieszka Polska's exhibition at the Nationalgalerie in autumn 2018.'

Dr Nicolas Peter, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Finance, said: 'Take a good look at the shortlist of the Preis der Nationalgalerie within the past decade and you will realize that having been nominated jumpstarted many of an artist's career. As long-term partner since the award's inception we wholeheartedly congratulate Agnieszka Polska! It will be great to see what she may come up with for her exhibition next year.'

In addition to Agnieszka Polska, the shortlisted artists for this year's Preis der Nationalgalerie were Sol Calero, Iman Issa and Jumana Manna. The works of the artists will be shown in a group exhibition until January 14, 2018 at Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum für Gegenwart - Berlin.

In cooperation with the Deutsche Filmakademie the Förderpreis für Filmkunst, endowed with 10.000 Euros, was awarded for the fourth time. The winner is Sandra Wollner for 'Das unmögliche Bild'.

The Jury, consisting of Meret Becker, actor, member of the Deutsche Filmakademie; Alexander Beyer, actor, member of the Deutsche Filmakademie; Natasha Ginwala, curator of the Contour Biennale 8 and curatorial adviser of the documenta 14; Alice Motard, chief curator at the CAPC Musée d'Art Contemporain de Bordeaux; and Alya Sebti, head of the ifa-Galerie Berlin, chose the winner from a shortlist of four candidates.

As a symbolic prize Iris Berben, President of the Deutsche Filmakademie, and Alexander Beyer, Deutsche Filmakademie, awarded both winners Agnieszka Polska and Sandra Wollner with a signed multiple 'Intuition' by Joseph Beuys from 1968.

The actor and singer Meret Becker hosted the award ceremony. Over 500 invited guests and members of the Freunde der Nationalgalerie celebrated the two winners along with longstanding partner BMW.

The Preis der Nationalgalerie was enabled by the Verein der Freunde der Nationalgalerie seventeen years ago. For nearly twelve years BMW supports the Preis der Nationalgalerie as a long-term partner, as well as the Förderpreis für Filmkunst in cooperation with the Deutsche Filmakademie.

To download image material and further information, please refer to http://preisdernationalgalerie.de/en/ and the BMW PressClub at https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global

For further questions please contact:
Dr Thomas Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

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For almost 50 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in over 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main focus of its long-term commitment on contemporary and modern art, classical music and jazz as well as architecture and design. In 1972, three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group's Munich headquarters. Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Daniel Barenboim, Jonas Kaufmann and architect Zaha Hadid have co-operated with BMW. In 2016 and 2017, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John Baldessari created the next two vehicles for the BMW Art Car Collection. Besides co-initiatives, such as BMW Tate Live, the BMW Art Journey and the 'Opera for All' concerts in Berlin, Munich and London, the company also partners with leading museums and art fairs as well as orchestras and opera houses around the world. The BMW Group takes absolute creative freedom in all its cultural activities for granted - as this is as essential for producing groundbreaking artistic work as it is for major innovations in a successful business.

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