Lawrence Weiner

Wolf Prize Laureate in Arts 2017

The jury panel of the 2017 Wolf Prize in Arts has unanimously decided to award the prize in equal parts to two laureates: Lawrence Weiner and Laurie Anderson

 

Lawrence Weiner

USA

 

“for the radicalism and avant-garde at the core of their work, and for inspiring generations to come.”

 

Lawrence Weiner (b. 1942) is one of the leading figures in the art world of the last decades. Present in the field of art since 1967, he is recognized as a pioneer of conceptual art, displaying an unprecedented use of language as material.
His texts create unexpected substitutes of sculpture and painting on brick, cement or glass walls, on transparent or opaque surfaces, in art institutes and other placess. Whether in the context of art or the broader context of cities and landscapes, his texts create a multi-inspirational performance of humanism. Weiner’s texts are not limited to English alone, he uses a variety of local languages, a fact that enhances his accumulating work with a universal dimension, including a political core that doesn’t lose its strength as years go by. On the contrary – it accumulates more and more impact.

 

His unique handwriting, recognizable and anonymous at once, maintains the non-materialistic dimension of conceptual art in a world of art that is becoming increasingly focused on objects. As such, Weiner’s work is a signature over ever-lasting radicalism.
Choosing Lawrence Weiner and Laurie Anderson as the 2017 Wolf Prize Laureates is a choice of artists whose career is motivated by radical thought and practice. Deriving from a conceptual framework, their art is in constant search of the next level. Their choice is a declaration of faith in art that is not confined to the traditional objects of art, and exist beyond the restrictions and temptations of the art market.

Arts

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Fujiko Nakaya

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Richard Long

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Cindy Sherman

Wolf Prize Laureate in Art 2020

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Lawrence Weiner

Wolf Prize Laureate in Arts 2017

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Laurie Anderson

Wolf Prize Laureate in Arts 2017

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Olafur Eliasson

Wolf Prize Laureate in the Arts 2014

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Rosemarie Trockel

Wolf Prize Laureate in Arts 2011

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Michelangelo Pistoletto

Wolf Prize Laureate in Arts 2006/7

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Louise Bourgeois

Wolf Prize Laureate in Arts 2002/3

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

James Turrell

Wolf Prize Laureate in Arts 1998

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Gerhard Richter

Wolf Prize Laureate in Arts 1994/5

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Bruce Nauman

Wolf Prize Laureate in Arts 1993

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Anselm Kiefer

Wolf Prize Laureate in Arts 1990

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Claes T. Oldenburg

Wolf Prize Laureate in Arts 1989

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Jasper Johns

Wolf Prize Laureate in Arts 1986

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Eduardo Chillida

Wolf Prize Laureate in Art 1984/5

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.

Marc Chagall

Wolf Prize Laureate in Art 1981

The Arts Committee unanimously decided that the Wolf Prize in Arts (Sculpture) for 1984/5, be granted to:

Eduardo Chillida
San Sebastian, Spain

His fruitful imagination, expressing a practical beauty of forms in his sculpture, appears in a contemporary guise, combining tradition and innovation.

Eduardo Chillida is one of the major sculptors of our times, with highly distinguished accomplishments in the three-dimension medium to his credit.

Chillida’s’ solid iron sculptures, as well as his alabaster blocks, are deeply rooted in the modern sculptural traditions and, at the same time, reached out experimentally toward new and as yet untested technical as well as aesthetic dimensions.

While enjoyable within a context of contemporary aesthetics, Chillida’s work has also radical and demanding dimensions, expressed through its weight and its assertiveness. His bold outdoor sculpture is at once part of nature and a challenge to it.

His debt to the past as well as his uncompromising contemporary posture marked him as an extraordinarily deserving, indeed a most admirable contemporary creator.