The premium vodka brand ABSOLUT announced that Albanian artist Anri Sala is the recipient of the 2011 ABSOLUT Art Award.

Photo: ABSOLUT

On September 16, artists, curators, gallery owners and art writers from around the world were gathered in Stockholm to participate in the ceremony where Sala accepted the €30,000 prize. The prize was handed over by Christine Macel, Chairman of the Absolut Art Award jury, and Chief Curator of Contemporary Art at Centre Pompidou.

The jury’s citation reads: «Anri Sala’s work offers a unique way of looking at the world that combines reflection on history, memories, and consciousness of the instant, with an absolute awareness of presence and disappearance. He possesses a special talent for precise and subtle displays, and a unique ability to conceive installations and architectural proposals including sound, image, sculpture, film and live performances.»

Photo: ABSOLUT: Anri Sala, Long Sorrow

The award was launched in 2009 to reinforce ABSOLUT’s long-term commitment to the arts. Previous winners are Keren Cytter and Rirkrit Tiravanija.

Anri Sala has gained international attention for his video work and he is considered one of Europe’s most interesting videoartists. He participated in numerous biennales including those in Berlin, Moscow, São Paolo, Sydney and Venice and had personal exhibitions in many museums. Sala is interested in questions about memory and modernity as well as relationship between light, sound and music. This autumn, new exhibitions are scheduled at the Serpentine Gallery in London as well as Centre Pompidou, Festival d’Automne and Club Marbeuf in Paris.

ABSOLUT’s collaboration with the art started with ABSOLUT WARHOL. Since then the brand has been proving its commitment to arts with different projects including 365 days project and ABSOLUT Vis10ns among recent ones.