10th Film London Jarman Award shortlist hailed as “most diverse yet”

The shortlist for the 10th Film London Jarman Award has been announced, with six artists in line to receive the £10,000 prize.

The shortlisted artists are: Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Oreet Ashery, Adham Faramawy, Melanie Manchot, Charlotte Prodger and Marianna Simnett.

Their work ranges from single-screen and web-based works, to gallery installations featuring music and performance.

Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Rubber Coated Steel, 2016 – excerpt from Film London on Vimeo

Beirut-based artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan‘s works include audio-visual installations, performances, graphic works, photography, Islamic sermons and cassette tape compositions. Last year he won the Nam June Paik award while his film Rubber Coated Steel was a highlight of the 2016 Liverpool Biennial.

Oreet Ashery, Revisiting Genesis – Episode 2, 2016 – excerpt from Film London on Vimeo

Israeli interdisciplinary artist Oreet Ashery has an eclectic practice that includes photography, moving image, mass-produced and unique artefacts, text, music, workshops and performance. She has exhibited and performed at various international venues, including Whitstable Biennale and Centre Pompidou, Paris.

Adham Faramawy, Janus Collapse, 2016 – excerpt from Film London on Vimeo

Dubai-born Adham Faramawy works across moving image, sculptural installation and print. He often draws on the language of advertising, co-opting the special effects used to evoke desire for people, things and experiences.

Melanie Manchot, Out Of Bounds, 2016 – trailer from Film London on Vimeo

German artist Melanie Manchot‘s practice spans photography, moving image and installation. Her work encompasses portraiture, participation and performance in order to ask questions about identity.

Charlotte Prodger, BRIDGIT, 2016 – excerpt from Film London on Vimeo

Meanwhile, Glasgow-based artist Charlotte Prodger‘s work has previously combined video taken from YouTube with spoken text taken from internet forums and personal emails. She currently works predominantly using her iPhone. She has previously won the Margaret Tait Award for experimental film and moving image.

Marianna Simnett, Faint with Light, 2016 – installation documentation from Film London on Vimeo

Finally, London-based artist Marianna Simnett works with moving image, installation and performance to create dark, intense magic realist work. She was one of two filmmakers selected for the 2014-15 Jerwood/FVU Awards.

Adrian Wootton OBE, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, said: “It’s fitting that the shortlist for the Jarman Award’s tenth year is its most diverse yet, ranging from ambitious installations to smartphone-shot footage and ground-breaking AR techniques.

“These artists work in a world that is fast-moving, innovative and ever-changing, and their work reflects this. It challenges us to think differently about the world we see around us, and has the power to alter our very perception of what it means to be a contemporary filmmaker.”

The jury who selected this year’s shortlist are: Iwona Blazwick OBE, director, Whitechapel Gallery; Andrea Lissoni, senior curator, international art (film), Tate Modern and Film London Board member; Catherine Bray, editor, Random Acts, Channel 4; Shona Illingworth, artist; Peter Taylor, director, Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival; and Tyrone Walker-Hebborn, director, Genesis Cinema.

Now in its tenth year, previously shortlisted artists for the Film London Jarman Award include Laure Prouvost, Elizabeth Price, Marvin Gaye Chetwynd, Duncan Campbell, James Richards, and Luke Fowler, all of whom went on to be shortlisted for or to win the Turner Prize. The current Scotland + Venice artist Rachel Maclean was shortlisted for last year’s award which was won by Heather Phillipson.

An exhibition of works by the shortlisted artists will travel to 12 different venues across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1 October 2017 to 19 November. The tour will culminate in a weekend of screenings, discussions and performances at Whitechapel Gallery, London on 18 and 19 November.

The winner of the Film London Jarman Award 2017 will be announced on 20 November 2017 at the Whitechapel Gallery

Image:
Charlotte Prodger, Northern Dancer, installation view, 2015. Photo: John McKenzie; Courtesy: the artist, Hollybush Gardens and Koppe Astner

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