Winners
A New Gaze 4
The artists Emidio Battipaglia (*1984, IT) and Augustin Lignier (*1995, FR) were selected by an international jury as the joint winners of the fourth edition of the Art Vontobel sponsorship prize A New Gaze. Over 70 young artists from across Europe were invited to submit a project based on the theme of “Community”. Out of the numerous candidates nominated by experts, the two artists impressed the jury with their equally expanded and experimental approach to photography and their unexpected take on this year’s theme. The winning projects will be presented next year in an additionally sponsored public exhibition in Zurich.
Community as our central theme
The concept of community is omnipresent. But where does this desire for more community come from? Is it the answer to an increasingly complex world that is becoming more fragmented and anonymous? But while communities can strengthen cohesion and identity, they can also lead to divisions and conflicts, perpetuate stereotypes, and exclude. Politics, digitalization and, more recently, the pandemic and war have affected our perception of and behaviour in communities in various ways. Thus, the theme of “Community” was at the heart of this year’s call for entries for the Art Vontobel Contemporary Photography Prize A New Gaze 4. Young artists from across Europe were invited to submit a project proposal revolving around this theme. The Vontobel Prize is awarded every two years, with each edition focusing on a different geographical region and a new, currently relevant topic.
Emidio Battipaglia (left) and Augustin Lignier (right) have been awarded Vontobel’s biannual international art award A New Gaze. Endowed with CHF 20,000, this prize for young contemporary photography is regarded as a springboard for emerging artists.
Andreas E.F. Utermann, Vontobel Chairman Board of Directors and President of the Vontobel Art Commission: “With the fourth edition of our art prize A New Gaze, we are—for the very first time—jointly honoring two artist projects. The jury thus acknowledges the quality of two highly committed artists who facilitate an expanded sense of seeing and thinking through their projects. Augustin Lignier and Emidio Battipaglia successfully take on the given theme of ‘Community’ by addressing associated societal evolutions in varied yet complementary ways.”
About Emidio Battipaglia
Emidio Battipaglia is an interdisciplinary visual artist who studied photography at ECAL in Lausanne and at Napier University in Edinburgh. He lives and works in Milan.
About Augustin Lignier
Augustin Lignier studied photography at the ECAL in Lausanne and art at the Beaux-Arts de Paris. He lives and works in Paris.
Process and Jury
During the nomination process and while selecting the winners, we relied greatly on the help of experts from the local art scene.