Praemium Imperiale 2019, Nobel Prize in Art awarded in Tokyo. Compliments of Pope Francis

Following the announcement of the winners made in September, the winners of the 2019 Praemium Imperiale, the “Nobel Prize in Art,” awarded annually to five personalities who have distinguished themselves in the fields of painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and theater/cinema, were honored in Tokyo. This year’s winners were William Kentridge (Johannesburg, 1955) for painting, Mona Hatoum (Beirut, 1952) for sculpture, the duo consisting of Tod Williams (Detroit, 1943) and Billie Tsien (Ithaca, New York, 1949) for architecture, Anne-Sophie Mutter (Rheinfelden, 1963) for music, and Bandō Tamasaburō (Tokyo, 1950) for theater/cinema.

The awards were presented to the winners in the architectural complex of Tokyo’s Meiji Kinenkan: in the presence of Prince Hitachi, Honorary Patron of the Japan Art Association and uncle of Emperor Naruhito, the artists received a diploma, commemorative medal, and the 15 million yen (about 122,000 euros) prize. Also present at the award ceremony were the Japan Art Association’s national advisors, who chair the nomination committees for the nominations: Lamberto Dini for Italy, Christopher Patten for Great Britain, Jean-Pierre Raffarin for France, and Klaus-Dieter Lehmann for Germany. Caroline Kennedy, Counselor for the United States, unable to be present, sent a video message.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also spoke at the ceremony with a video message, while Lamberto Dini pointed out that the winners of this prestigious award, whose artistic profile and major works he briefly recalled, are talented artists who in their careers have received worldwide recognition and acclaim for their creativity and artistic expression, exceptional performances and the beauty of their achievements. “Their genius,” Dini noted, “is often linked to their personal commitment to building a moral relationship with society, working for a better world.”

During the award ceremony, a letter to the President of the Japan Art Association, Hisashi Hieda, written by Pope Francis, was also read, in which the pontiff said that the award ceremony gives him the opportunity to join all those gathered in Tokyo for this important cultural event “in honoring those artists who, using the hidden power of sounds, words, colors and forms, help us recognize the beauty that is in the world and direct us toward transcendent values.” “I trust,” Pope Francis wrote further, “that this celebration will encourage all artists to renew their commitment to the pursuit of excellence and to give expression to those universal human values that unite the different peoples who make up our human family.”

In the photos below are some moments from the award ceremony.

The winners: Tod Williams, Billie Tsien, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Bandō Tamasaburō, Mona Hatoum, William Kentridge

A moment from the press conference

A moment from the press conference

William Kentridge

Mona Hatoum

Tod Williams and Billie Tsien

Anne-Sophie Mutter

Bandō Tamasaburō

Praemium Imperiale 2019, Nobel Prize in Art awarded in Tokyo. Compliments of Pope Francis

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.