The ARKEN Prize 2008

THE ARKEN PRIZE 2008

DONATED BY ANNIE & OTTO DETLEFS' PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATION

The ARKEN Prize 2008 went to the German multi artist John Bock. His works are in a number of leading international art museums. The ARKEN prize is his first art award.

John Bock is awarded the ARKEN Prize for daring to include the grotesque and absurd in his mad works. His works generate everything from curiosity to indignation. The Prize is John Bock’s first personal honorary award. 

A happy John Bock (b. 1965) received Denmark’s biggest art award of 100,000 Danish kroner, on Thursday 27 March, 2008, at ARKEN. In his speech to the artist ARKEN’s director Christian Gether said:

– John Bock is given the prize for daring to include the grotesque, absurd and mad, staking himself in the work. Indirectly he exposes our own insatiable desire to create order and system in a world that is fundamentally chaotic. He criticises any and all scientific thought that has defined our perspective on the world in the past centuries. And he constantly explores the boundaries of art.

Read more about John Bock

FACTS ABOUT THE ARKEN PRIZE
The ARKEN Prize is donated by Annie & Otto Johs. Detlefs’ Philanthropic Foundation. The Prize is awarded to a contemporary artist or artist group who has made an outstanding contribution to the international scene of contemporary art.

The Prize is awarded for an artistic effort whose stellar international level and global perspective contributes significantly to the development of a contemporary art that is experimental, innovative and stimulates debate. The ARKEN Prize is a personal honour and to be spent entirely as the recipient sees fit.

The prize comprises DKK 100,000