John Akomfrah wins Artes Mundi prize

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

John Akomfrah wins 2017 Artes Mundi Prize | John Akomfrah has been awarded this year’s Artes Mundi prize. Akomfrah, whose films explores themes of colonialism, migration and place, is the first British winner and topped a strong shortlist that included Bedwyr Williams and Neil Beloufa. ‘I am absolutely touched by this and enormously grateful for the chance it offers to finally finish off something I have been planning for over a decade,’ Akomfrah said. The Cardiff-based prize, which awards £40,000 to the winner, is intended to celebrate international artists making socially engaged work.

Shortlisted designs revealed for UK Holocaust memorial | 10 design proposals for London’s proposed Holocaust Memorial have been unveiled today at venues across the UK. The shortlist, which features several architectural practices working alongside major international artists such as Anish Kapoor’s and Rachel Whiteread, was whittled down from over 90 submissions. Members of the public are invited to submit feedback to the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation before the winning design is chosen. The designs can be viewed here.

Tania Bruguera pulls work from Bronx Museum show | Tania Bruguera has asked that her work not be included in ‘Wild Noise/Ruido Salvaje’, an upcoming exhibition of Cuban art. The New York Times reports that the project relies ‘too closely on the Cuban government’ in Bruguera’s opinion. The two-part exhibition, which initially involved a reciprocal loan of works between the Bronx Museum and Havana’s National Museum, has run into many difficulties in recent months.

Hammer Museum announces major expansion and renovation project | Los Angeles’s Hammer Museum has unveiled ambitious plans to open up 40,0000 sq ft of new space in a neighbouring building and reconfigure its existing facilities. The plans, drawn up by architect Michael Maltzan, will see the construction of two new galleries and update 20,000 sq ft of community space.

LACMA acquires Random International’s Rain Room | The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has acquired ‘Rain Room’, a hugely popular installation created by the group Random International. The work, which simulates a spectacular artificial downpour, has been on display at the museum since January 2015 and has attracted some 190,000 visitors. It was donated by home-furnishing company Restoration Hardware, which lent it to LACMA two years ago.