Resistance of Africa wins art prize in the UK

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Public chooses Meleko Mokgosi as their favourite artist for Mohn Award of UK.

The Hammer Museum has announced Botswana-born, Los Angeles-based artist Meleko Mokgosi as the winner of its new Mohn Award, a $100,000 prize given over two years that rivals the Turner Prize in the U.K., according to The Art Newspaper. The award is funded by local philanthropists and art collectors Jarl and Pamela Mohn.

Mokgosi was among five finalists selected by a panel of judges from the 60 artists taking part in the Hammer’s “Made in L.A.” biennial. He was chosen as the overall winner by the public through a registered voting system, both online and at the museum, that ensured secure and authentic results.

Artist’s installation at the beinnial

The artist’s installation in the biennial, “Pax Kaffraria: Sikhuselo embumbulu,” 2012, is part of a larger series dealing with post-colonial Africa. Its title includes the term “bulletproof” in Xhosa, a South African language. The work refers to the cattle killing movement of 1856-57, which was based on a prophecy meant to bring about a new earthly paradise and destroy the white colonists. According to the museum, “the series of paintings frames the historic event and considers a legacy of resistance that continues today — namely, the persistent drive to become bulletproof.”
The 2012 Made in L.A. biennial runs until Sept 2.