Prix Fems 2024 goes to Apnavi Makanji from Geneva
Published: Tuesday, Jun 11th 2024, 10:50
Updated At: Wednesday, Jun 12th 2024, 01:59
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The Prix Fems 2024, endowed with 100,000 francs, goes to the artist Apnavi Makanji in Geneva. She now has one year to complete her award-winning project "K(NOT) Weed", as announced by the Fondation Edouard & Maurice Sandoz (Fems) on Tuesday.
In her art, Apnavi Makanji deals with ecology, the concept of home and colonialism. In "K(NOT) Weed", she tells the story of the Japanese knotweed. She focuses on the migration path of this plant, which is considered an invasive species.
Makanji explores the path back to its origins as a valued medicinal plant and to its Asian roots. She draws a parallel between the life of a migrant and the unloved knotweed. Botanical terms such as neophytes, naturalization or invasive species also appear "in some political narratives", writes the FEMS.
Makanji was born in Mumbai in 1976. She now lives and works in Geneva. Her works have been presented internationally in group and solo exhibitions since 2006.
The jury evaluated 59 anonymously submitted projects for the Prix Fems 2024. The projects of five artists were shortlisted. The prize was awarded in the field of painting on the theme of "Gardens, flowers, herbariums".
The Prix Fems has been awarded since 1996 in memory of the artists and patrons Edouard and Maurice Sandoz, alternating between the categories of sculpture, literature, painting and music. Previous winners include the Lucerne painter Achim Schroeteler and the Schwyz painter Barbara Gwerder.
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