On December 7, 2022 the Prince Claus Fund will present Prince Claus Impact Awards to six outstanding international artists and cultural practitioners whose work engages their communities in innovative, positive ways and addresses issues of urgent contemporary relevance. His Royal Highness Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, Honourary Chair of the Prince Claus Fund, will present the awards in a ceremony in the Royal Palace Amsterdam.
Impact Awards are given out every two years to six role models whose transformative work deserves to be celebrated and recognised globally. This year’s recipients are:
Ailton Alves Lacerda Krenak is an indigenous leader, environmentalist, philosopher, poet and writer in Brazil. Considered one of the great leaders of the Brazilian indigenous movement, Krenak has succeeded in providing a safe space for the development of indigenous leadership. He is a mentor to younger generations of indigenous leaders, activists, and politicians and builds bridges between indigenous people and the rest of Brazilian society.
Alain Gomis is a Senegalese-French film director and screenwriter whose work explores identity, the differences and bonds that define the relationship between francophone Africa and its diaspora. Founder of the Yennenga Center in Dakar, dedicated to cinema, Gomis plays an important role in the promotion of film and fostering of local talents in Senegal and Africa.
Hassan Darsi is a visual artist in Morocco whose work promotes critical thinking about public spaces and citizenship. He co-founded La Source du Lion, a cultural laboratory that brings together thinkers, artists, journalists, students, and the general public to discuss the role of art in society. Darsi has redefined art in the Moroccan context by engaging the larger Moroccan public through his exhibitions.
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara is an artist and human rights defender in Cuba, whose performances are critical of the conditions many Cubans face. Alcántara leads the San Isidro Collective—an artists’ collective that promotes freedom of expression and cultural rights. He is a co-founder of The Museum of Dissidence, a website and public art project reclaiming and celebrating dissent. Alcántara’s art and cultural performances have frequently led to his harrassment and incarceration by Cuban authorities.
María Medrano is a writer, poet and editor in Argentina who advocates for the improvement and ultimate abolition of prisons. They co-founded YoNoFui, a non-profit trans-feminist organisation that works with formerly incarcerated women and individuals from the LGTBQIA+ community in arts and crafts projects. YoNoFui amplifies their voices beyond prison walls in the face of a punitive reality that negates their potential. Medrano also co-founded Tinta Revuelta, an editorial collective of non-binary people, lesbian, bisexual and cis women.
May al-Ibrashy is an Egyptian architect whose work centres on community engagement through heritage conservation, rehabilitation, preservation, and re-signification. She is the founder of the Megawra—Built Environment Collective, that unites an architectural firm and an NGO. Through her work she has managed to create a real difference for often marginalised communities living in Cairo’s historic centre. She has created an important counter narrative to the current government’s focus on urban expansion and renewal.
About the Impact Awards
Prince Claus Impact Awards focus on the artistic quality, social engagement and impact of the artists and their work. Geographic diversity and range of disciplines are also considerations in the selection process. For this year’s Awards, 94 nominations were initially received.
The Prince Claus Impact Awards Jury is comprised of five international and highly experienced individuals. The Jury is diverse in terms of gender, geography, and disciplinary specialism. Together they select the Prince Claus Impact Award recipients based on a balanced and thorough selection process.
This year’s jury is comprised of the chair, curator Pablo Leon de la Barra; architect and 2019 Prince Claus Laureate Mariam Kamara; dancer, choreographer, storyteller and 2007 Prince Claus Laureate Faustin Linyekula; multimedia artist and 2010 Prince Claus Laureate Dinh Q. Lê; curator Maya El Khalil.
