Jakob Ujvari is awarded the Euward9 audience award at Finissage

Last Sunday, July 14, 2024, the winner of the Euward9 public award was announced Haus der Kunst in Munich as part of the closing ceremony of the exhibition "Samaneh Atef, Belén Sánchez, Desmond Tjonakoy. Euward9"

The lucky winner is Jakob Ujvari.

About the winner Jakob Ujvari

Jakob Ujvari was born in 2000 in Miskolc, Hungary. Together with his twin brother Jonas and two other siblings, he grew up in Munich. After graduating from a special school in Munich in 2019, he started working full -time as a young artist in the Augustinum studio.

Ujvari's artistic work is characterized by an independent graphic-linear style. With a few strong and precise lines, it creates clear forms on Indian handmade paper or etching plates.

He prefers abstract forms that extend over the entire leaf and merge. Due to a continuous, rhythmic interior drawing, the individual forms are combined into a harmonious whole. The resulting structures appear both archaic and contemporary and modern.

The European Art Award - The Art Prize and its international importance

The Euward is a renowned international art prize of significant global relevance that is dedicated to talented artists with intellectual disabilities. He recognizes the work of outstanding contemporary artists with cognitive restrictions. It is unique that there is no comparable art price with a comparable continuity in Europe or another continent.

The conception of the EUward was carried out between 1998 and 1999, was recorded in writing and implemented by Klaus Mecherlein in 2000 for the Augustinum. The euward was initially awarded every two years (2000/2002/2004) and has been around a three -year distance (2007/2014/2018/2021/2024) since then.

From 2004 to 2010, the EUward exhibition was presented three times in the renowned House of Art in Munich and since 2021 it has been permanently integrated into the program.

Positioning of the Euward

The gradually opens up The Euward Art Prize is committed to the recognition of this critical and qualitative art, which is often rejected by the traditional art scene.

Through a scientific approach, the EUward explores this new artistic phenomenon and emphasizes its importance within the overall context of art.

inclusion means that their unique perspectives and life experiences have to be respected in their art without leveling or losing their diversity. The negation of disabilities does not lead to more inclusion, but limits diversity in art.

Prize winner and cross-sectional exhibition

From the beginning, the concept of the Euward includes a double orientation in the presentation and publication of excellent art. The EUward exhibition , which is mainly associated with the honor and presentation of the award winners in the form of a comprehensive solo exhibition , also offers a representative overview of the contemporary art scene in the context of intellectual disability in Europe.

The presentation of all about 20 artists nominated for the Euward creates the unique opportunity to present a European cross -section. This represents an additional incentive for the audience and makes it possible to extensively point out the phenomenon of art in the context of intellectual disabilities.

Art in the context of intellectual disabilities

Since 2000, the Euward has been offering a platform for works of art that are created in connection with intellectual disabilities. These works are recognized as an expression of a unique access to the world and perception. The cognitive impairment is not viewed as an obstacle, but as a potential. 

The Euward stands out from pure art exhibitions of people with disabilities and avoids a purely aesthetic view. However, it is possible and sensible to see this special art in the context of time art and in other contexts.

The conditions of origin of such works of art deserve special attention, while the reception can take different perspectives. It is important to clearly distinguish between art production and reception, especially for terms such as "outsid art" or "Art Brut" to avoid misunderstandings.

Artistic practice and intellectual disability

The art of people with intellectual disabilities is increasingly recognized as part of the neurodive artist landscape . The individual imprint through the impairment enables unique access to the world and artistic work.

The personal objects have a deep meaning for the artists themselves and raise interesting questions. The contextualization of this art extends a view of the broad spectrum of human artistic creation. This special form of creative expression still remains relevant and inspired artists such as Paul Klee , Alfred Kubin and Salvador Dali .

Reception of the works of creators with intellectual disabilities

The phenomenon of artistic outsiders (i.e. unpulted, spontaneous creator and form inventor for internal necessity) was first discovered, examined and published by medical doctors in psychiatric institutions in the middle of the 19th century (Cesare Lambroso, 1887).

They were first referred to as "artists" (Walter Morgenthaler, 1921) and later by Jean Dubuffet (1945) in the concept of Art brood (a raw, anti- or non-cultural art). By around 1960, however, there were no ideas of an art of people with intellectual disabilities because there was no idea of ​​these people.

Only with the founding of curative education homes and art initiatives such as the studio of Annedore Spellenberg (1965) in Stetten did the art of people with cognitive impairment became visible. Since these art mostly emerged in institutions, supervised art facilities and under guidance (sometimes even with pedagogical goals), it found no place in the canon of kind of brood and partially met with rejection and exclusion from the representative of the species.

Michel Thévoz (Collection de l'Art brut, Lausanne) wrote down the existential energy and subversive power of kind of breed in a publication.

Rows of misunderstandings about outsid art

Outsider Art is an art phenomenon that is often misunderstood and therefore needs a closer look. Artists who work in this style do not see themselves as traditional artists, but bring in a unique perspective and creative energy into their works.

This type of art differs significantly from established "cultural art" and offers insights into the variety of human creativity beyond established norms. Outsider Art represents an alternative approach to western art tradition and emphasizes the individual forms of expression of the artists, who are often neurodivers.

It is not a social category or a form of discrimination, but an unconventional, authentic form of art that questions and challenges the established art system.

By outsid art as an independent artistic flow , we open space for critical reflection within the art business and enable an appreciative examination of a variety of forms of expression.