BALTIC announces new award for international artists

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

Gateshead’s BALTIC museum launches new award for artists | Gateshead’s BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art has announced details of its new biennial award for international artists.. The BALTIC Artists’ Award will recognise the achievements of four artists. Chosen by a jury of four established artists, the award will be granted £25,000 to create new work, plus a £5,000 fee and a 13-week exhibition at the museum. The judges of the inaugural prize are Pedro Cabrita Reis, Lorna Simpson, Mike Nelson, and Monica Bonvicini.

Cairo’s Townhouse Gallery reopens in new space | Townhouse Gallery, the Cairo arts space that was shut down by authorities last December, is to reopen in a converted paper factory, reports The Art Newspaper. Having experienced difficulties reopening after parts of its former space were torn down, Townhouse Gallery still faces increased regulations on its activities. ‘Institutions need to present their licenses to ensure that they have the right to show or present the works. There is no flexibility. As you can imagine many artists refuse these procedures,’ director William Wells told TAN.

Herzog & de Meuron chosen for RCA expansion | Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron have been selected from a shortlist of seven to design a ‘strategic approach’ for the Royal College of Art’s new Battersea South campus. The winning proposal was chosen for its ‘deep understanding’ of the institution’s existing structures and the local topography, and saw off rival pitches from candidates including Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Serie Architects. ‘The RCA set a challenging brief to look forward and visualise the spaces they will need to deliver innovation and expertise’, said Pierre de Meuron.

Paul Hamlyn Foundation announces winners of annual Artists’ Award | The Paul Hamlyn Foundation has named the winners of its annual Awards for Artists prize, with Lucy Beech and Edward Thomasson, Sonia Boyce, Rachel Reupke, Lucy Skaer, and Cara Tolmie confirmed as winners in the visual arts category. The winners will each be awarded £50,000 so that they can devote time to their work

Recommended reading | ‘A fat, unlovable building that should probably be paying monthly royalties to the Burj Al Arab’: that’s what Artforum’s Ian Volner says of the Trump® Ocean Club International Hotel & Tower in Panama City. In his piece about the US President-Elect’s real estate empire, that’s about as positive as it gets. In the Guardian, Oliver Wainwright sums up the new home of London’s Design Museum as ‘impressive’, while the FT’s Edwin Heathcote talks to director Deyan Sudjic and designer John Pawson about the project.