Since 1999, Baloise has been honouring two young artists per year with the Art Prize. The prize of CHF 30’000 is awarded by an international jury of renowned experts. In addition, Baloise acquires a group of works by the award winners and donates them to two important museums in Europe: the MMK, Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt am Main and the MUDAM, Musée d'Art Moderne, Luxembourg.
The Baloise gift intention has always been to museums in Europe - in particular in countries of the business units. Due to the Baloise entrenchement in Frankfurt, it was obvious to consider MMK Frankfurt for the donation this year.
Baloise donates the work BLOOMING IN STASIS: 25.8230° S, 23.5312° E, 2023 - an installation by Helena Uambembe - to the MMK Frankfurt. She is one of the two winners of the 2022 Art Prize.
The installation can be seen within the solo exhibition HELENA UAMBMBE. BLOOMING IN STASIS: 25.8230° S, 23.5312° E from 14 October 2023 to 21 January 2024 at ZOLLAMT MMK.
Helena Uambembe, Installation view ZOLLAMT MMK, Blooming in Stasis: 25.8230° S, 23.5312° E, 2023 (Detail), © Helena Uambembe, Picture: Wolfgang Stahr
Helena Uambembe, Installation view ZOLLAMT MMK, Blooming in Stasis: 25.8230° S, 23.5312° E, 2023 (Detail), © Helena Uambembe, Picture: Wolfgang Stahrrg
The installation BLOOMING IN STASIS 25.8230° S, 23.5312° E takes visitors back to the artist's birthplace - Pomfret, a town in South Africa. In her work, Helena Uambeme depicts the history of the place as well as that of the soldiers.
A high wire mesh fence surrounds the large, old house. The ground is dusty and dry, a few yellow flowers can be seen. We are in Pomfret, a town that was actually supposed to be demolished in 2004. Water and electricity were cut off, buildings closed, and yet some people have remained living there. This is because the Angolan soldiers who fled the civil war in their own country were faced with the choice of either returning to their country or joining the military of the apartheid government of South Africa.
The place in the desert has an important meaning for the soldiers, but also for the artist. Helena Uambembe wants to use the installation to shed light on the history of Pomfret.