Alberta Whittle Wins Frieze Artist Award 2020

Alberta Whittle’s creative practice is motivated by the desire to manifest self-compassion and collective care as key methods in battling anti-blackness. She choreographs interactive installations, using film, sculpture and performance as site-specific artworks in public and private spaces. Her winning proposal features a new moving-image work, informed by the writings of Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and an interest in connecting gothic imaginaries and fear of contagion with moral panic as it relates to colonialism and xenophobia.

Her new commission can be seen online at Frieze.com from 8 October with public screenings at Forma HQ from 9 – 16 October with advance registration essential.

This year Frieze will introduce an innovative hybrid of online and offline activity, reaching audiences worldwide via the digital reach of Frieze Viewing Room, as well as celebrating the vibrant art scene in London with Frieze Week programming across the city.

The 2020 edition of the Frieze Artist Award was selected by a jury composed of leading industry figures, including Eva Langret (Artistic Director, Frieze London), Chris Rawcliffe (Artistic Director, Forma), Himali Singh Soin (artist and winner of the Frieze Artist Award 2019), Victor Wang (Artistic Director and Chief Curator, M WOODS Museum) and Zoé Whitley (Director, Chisenhale Gallery).

Whittle’s winning proposal was selected from a shortlist of nominated artists including Cibelle Cavalli Bastos, Jamie Crewe, Adham Faramawy, Arash Fayez, Onyeka Igwe, Helene Kazan and Sadé Mica.

Eva Langret, Artistic Director, Frieze London said: “Frieze is thrilled to present a major new commission by Alberta Whittle. Whittle’s winning proposal is a moving-image work that explores timely questions relating to personal healing and the cultivation of hope in hostile environments; be it the pandemic, colonialism or xenophobia. We are delighted to be partnering with Forma, for the second year, and thank them for their support in realising this significant new commission.”

Whittle (b.1980, Bridgetown, Barbados) lives and works in Glasgow. She is an artist, researcher and curator, and is a Research Associate at The University of Johnnesburg. She was a RAW Academie Fellow at RAW Material in Dakar in 2018 and is the Margaret Tait Award winner for 2018/9.