The year 2024 marks the second edition of the Art Movements Foundation Prize for Contemporary Drawing, organized with the support of the Romanian Ministry of Culture and in collaboration with ALERT Studio. A special award offered by collector Mladen Bataniat, dedicated to supporting and promoting an emerging talent, adds a personal and profound dimension to the exhibition, highlighting the crucial role collectors play in supporting contemporary art.

The exhibition "Contemporary Drawing in Romania," launched following a national call for submissions, represents a significant moment for the local art scene, showcasing the diversity and innovation of contemporary artists. After a rigorous selection process, the jury reviewed 546 works submitted by 200 artists from across the country and awarded three prizes to recognize excellence and originality in drawing.

This year’s exhibition features diverse graphic and drawing techniques applied on various supports. Most of the works are created using charcoal on paper, including the awarded pieces. It is fascinating how, by employing this traditional, even archaic, technique, contemporary drawing works are created, adapting classical forms and conceptual content to current artistic practices and sensibilities, transforming the classical study or preparatory sketch into standalone creations.

The artists featured in the exhibition, whether they employ metaphorical, fictional, figurative, (hyper)realist, or abstract expressions, offer a significant perspective on the contemporary Romanian art scene in the field of drawing.

The Art Movements Foundation Prize thus becomes a platform for dialogue between generations and perspectives, reinforcing the role of drawing in the Romanian contemporary visual landscape. The exhibition is a spectacle of lines, textures, colors, and ideas – diverse, unpredictable, and imbued with meaning, much like life itself.

Curator Raluca Ilaria Demetrescu

━━━━━━

In 2023, the Art Movements Foundation established a prize for contemporary drawing dedicated to professional Romanian artists or foreign artists residing in Romania for whom drawing represents a significant part of their artistic practice. Through this award, the Foundation seeks to contribute to defining and upholding values that should shape contemporary society, emphasizing the meaning and importance of art.

The AMF Prize aims to celebrate and elevate contemporary drawing, with the intention of becoming an annual event, organized by the Foundation and evaluated by an independent jury comprised of respected experts familiar with Romania’s contemporary art scene.