The "award recognises an artist who has made an outstanding contribution to contemporary art in New Zealand in the two years prior." That’s probably in the region of February 2010 to March 2012.
Here then some of the artists we reckon must be in contention. Send in suggestions and we’ll append them.
Michael Stevenson for his 2011 survey exhibition at the MCA in Sydney. He’s been poorly treated by the Walters in the past and it's hard to understand a) why his first major survey exhibition was mounted in Australia and b) never came to New Zealand, so here’s a chance to couple atonement with a natural prize winner.
Kate Newby’s exhibition Crawl out your window at the GAK Gesellschaft Aktuelle Kunst, Bremen in 2010.
Michael Parekowhai's 2011 project On first looking into Chapman's Homer in Venice and Paris, The far side at Michael Lett and Te Ao Hurihuri at Jonathan Smart in Christchurch.
Fiona Pardington’s Ahua: A Beautiful Hesitation in the Sydney Biennale in 2010, the touring exhibition The pressure of sunlight falling in 2011 and Phantasma at Two Rooms.
Karl Fritch, Martino Gamper and Francis Upritchard’s installation at the Govett-Brewster exhibition Stealing the senses in 2011
Simon Denny for Cruise Line at the Neuer Aachener Kunstverein in Aachen, Germany.
Simon Denny for Cruise Line at the Neuer Aachener Kunstverein in Aachen, Germany.
Shane Cotton’s one person exhibition Smashed Myth at Anna Schwartz in Sydney in 2010.
Eve Armstrong's Taking stock for Letting space in Wellington in 2010, her project with Gretchen Albrecht at Michael Lett in 2011
