NIKA SPAN - PRIZE
For the Annual Academy Exhibition in 1997 I, a student at the time, decided to present a prize. The award winner was to receive a casting of the door handles from the academy’s main entrance. These handles were originally designed by Mataré, an artist and long-time professor of the institution. I decided to give the award to Franz Küsters, a master craftsman from the plaster workshop.
At the presentation of the Nika Span Prize I gave a speech.
Award Presentation Speech.
Annual Exhibition, 1997, Düsseldorf Art Academy.
Ladies and gentleman, dear friends,
I am happy to confer this prize today: happy to have made a decision. This decision is an act of art, in that it is at once subjective and complex. The prize must be placed into the right hands – as in such a case everybody is happy, and that is a good thing.
I will confer this casting of the door handles from the main entrance to the Düsseldorf Kunstakademie to the recipient. These handles were made by Mataré, an artist and long-time professor of this institution. I have copied not only the handles but also their history of use. I can only hope and believe that Mataré would agree with what I have done.
These days this door and its handles belong to all of us, and simultaneously to the institution – the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Everyone connected to this institution, and therefore also to the door handles, was a potential recipient of the prize.
The two handles are a link between the past and a future, and this casting is a frozen moment, a knot in time, which will, from this day on, connect two individual artistic paths, mine and that of the recipient. On my part this casting is a product of love and determination.
In last few days I have tried to find somebody who was worthy of this prize; an individual artistic line, which could tie a knot with this casting. So, I am hereby awarding this prize to Franz Küsters from the plaster workshop – and I am happy.
