The SINGULART Awards are back, and with them, the opportunity to discover new talents. The theme for the 2023 edition of the awards will be: There Is No Planet B. Climate change, biodiversity, natural resources…In recent years, the warning signs regarding the state of our planet have multiplied. We have entered an era where we must collectively do better in order to protect our environment. At SINGULART, we believe that art and creativity have the power to open minds and to bring people together behind a common cause.
This is the reason behind why we dedicated this edition of the Awards to this important matter. With the help of a jury of experts, we aim to highlight artists and designers who integrate an eco-responsible approach in their work—those who aim to reconnect with nature while focusing on ethics and organic materials. It is also the perfect occasion to think about the future and reimagine our world.
Meet Our Jury of Experts
This year, we are once again fortunate to have an international jury of experts in art and design to help us elect the winners of the 2023 SINGULART Awards. The jury is made up of six members, each with distinct sensibilities, professional experiences, and creative preferences, that will enrich the debate…we can’t wait to introduce them to you!
Jean Servais Somian – Furniture and Product Designer
An internationally acclaimed sculptor, as well as an established furniture and product designer, Jean Servais Somian is recognised for using upcycled and raw materials. Born in 1971 in the Ivory Coast, Somain employs local resources, particularly the coconut tree, which he fashions into unique pieces. Educated between the Ivory Coast and Switzerland, he draws inspiration from West African heritage, such as the long-held tradition of wood carving. Somian’s work has been exhibited at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, 1:54 Fair and Exceptions d’Afrique at Artcurial Paris.
Anna Alix Koffi – Creative Director, Photo Editor and Art Center Director
Anna Alix Koffi was born in Abidjan, where she is currently based, where she travels between her offices in Paris. As creative director and photo editor, she founded and self-published the photography book OFF the wall, a collection of journals on international photography. Since 2016, Koffi has created and produced Woman Paper, a publication made in collaboration with art fairs and festivals, diffused to the public to emphasize the voice of women in the arts. She is currently working on Something We Africans Got, a quarterly journal highlighting arts, philosophy, and cultural studies from Africa and its diaspora. She also spotlights Black creatives in her magazine SWAG high profiles. Koffi has recently begun a new art project: SOMETHING, a physical space dedicated to video art, digital art and critical thinking.
Vincent Marchilacy – Director of Picto Foundation, Paris
Associate Director of The Eyes
Vincent Marchilacy joined Agence VU’ in 1996, where he successively held several positions before creating the special projects department. He created VU MAG, in collaboration with Agence VU’, a biannual magazine offering a decompartmentalized approach to photography. Since 2012, he is co-director of the label The Eyes, which develops publishing, production and consulting activities in the field of photography and cultural content. Between 2009 and 2012, he was also the director of Galerie VU’. In 2016, he founded Picto Foundation with Philippe Gassmann, the endowment fund of the PICTO laboratory, which he has been directing ever since.
Nadine Barth – Curator, Author and Editor
Nadine Barth studied philosophy, literature, and art history in Hamburg and worked for many years as a journalist and art dealer. In 2006, she founded Barthouse Culture Concepts, an agency for art media and cultural projects. She has edited hundreds of publications on photography, art, and fashion; she has curated exhibitions in cities across the world from New York to Tallinn; and has compiled an impressive list of institutions and events including Deichtorhallen Hamburg and Fotografiska Stockholm. Barth has been a consulting editor for photography art books at Hatje Cantz since 2013.
Mathilde Augé – Director of programing at FIAF, New York
Mathilde holds a Master’s in art history from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and a Master’s in management from HEC Paris. In Paris, she worked for several publishing houses (Autrement, Presses Universitaires de France, Gallimard) before moving to New York and joining FIAF in 2017. At FIAF, she supervised the rebrand and relaunch of FIAF:Talk, including a new series of Art de Vivre talks. In 2020, she took over cultural programs and the artistic department and shepherded FIAF’s transition to online and hybrid events, reaching audiences across the country thanks to virtual talks with personalities and international partnerships.
Ultimately, with these Awards, we want to give art and design lovers the opportunity to raise your voice and express your love for the creatives on board with SINGULART. You’ll have the possibility to choose the Artist of the Year–and for the first time, the Designer of the Year–by voting on our website, starting the 15th of january. Happy SINGULART Awards!
