In continuation of TAKE’s commitment to art writing and the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia’s sustained efforts in promoting critical discourse, we are pleased to announce the third edition of the Art Writers’ Award (AWA), 2020–21.

Congratulations, Premjish Achari, winner of the Art Writers’ Award, 2020–21

Premjish Achari is a curator and art critic based in Delhi. Achari has initiated an in-depth curatorial platform called Future Collaborations aiming at theoretically and politically informed curation. He is the co-curator of Bhubaneswar Art Trail 2018. Achari currently heads the programme and the editorial for the exhibition ‘Lokame Tharavadu’ organised by Kochi Biennale Foundation and teaches art history and theory at Shiv Nadar University.

Jury: Parul Dave-Mukherji (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi), Iftikhar Dadi (Cornell University, New York), Övül Ö. Durmusoglu (UdK Graduate School, Berlin), Bhavna Kakar (Editor and Publisher, TAKE on Art and Founder and Director, Gallery Latitude 28), and Akshay Pathak (Head, Pro Helvetia New Delhi.

TAKE on Art has been invested in sustaining critical writing practices in India through the series of workshops, talks and the TAKE on Writing ensemble series. This endeavour was conceptualised to initiate continuing dialogue among contemporary art writers and critics by connecting peers who could potentially exchange ideas, and offer each other critique and feedback. In continuation of TAKE’s commitment to art writing, and the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia’s sustained efforts in promoting critical discourse, we initiated second the Art Writers’ Award (AWA) in 2018.

The award identifies and supports one Indian writer in the fields of visual arts, theatre, architecture, design, photography, etc. and offer the recipient a research residency in Switzerland for a period of up to 60 days. Through close mentorship, the writer is exposed to discourses that could further their research and build a community around their themes. The applications are invited from all age groups and the recipient is selected by an independent jury of distinguished professionals in the field. This edition’s research residency will take place at Atelier Mondial, Basel—a city with rich cultural heritage, a diverse range of cultural activities, many museums, and renowned contemporary architecture. During his time in Switzerland, Achari will research the collaborative social practices in contemporary Indian art vis-à-vis the Swiss context.

The recipient of this edition will be awarded an all-expense covered residency from 1 February to 31 March 2021 at Atelier Mondial, Basel, Switzerland.

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