National Museum Wales to acquire works by Artes Mundi artist

Two works by the joint winner of this year’s Artes Mundi award, Prabhakar Pachpute, are to be acquired by Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales (AC-NMW).

The Indian contemporary artist has been named winner of the Derek William Trust Artes Mundi Purchase Prize, which enables the museum to purchase works by shortlisted Artes Mundi artists for its permanent collection.

The works selected for acquisition by a jury are Rattling Knot (2020) and The Close Observer (2020). They form part of Pachpute’s presentation at the biennial art exhibition and prize, and draw on a shared cultural heritage between Welsh and global mining communities.

Pachpute has worked with Artes Mundi and AC-NMW to create detailed documentation that will allow the work to be reinstalled at a later date.

Pachpute said: “I am deeply honoured and feel humbled to know about the decision of the Derek Williams Trust Artes Mundi Purchase Prize. The gesture of appreciation is very important for an artist to keep on working. This acknowledgement for my practice comes with more responsibility and it truly means a lot to me. I hope I will grow wiser with it.”

AC-NMW director general David Anderson said: “Pachpute grew up in a coal-mining region of India and there are compelling connections between the landscapes and characters that inhabit his work and the histories and art that emerged from the mining communities in Wales. We look forward to exploring these connections in the years ahead and would like to thank the Derek Williams Trust for their vital support in ensuring internationally important art is accessible to audiences across Wales.”

Pachpute is one of six artists who were jointly awarded the Artes Mundi 9 prize in June. He and fellow winners Firelei Báez (Dominican Republic), Dineo Seshee Bopape (South Africa), Meiro Koizumi (Japan), Beatriz Santiago Muñoz (Puerto Rico), and Carrie Mae Weems (USA) each received £10,000, making the total prize money £60,000.

Their works will be on display at the National Museum in Cardiff and Chapter Art Gallery until 5 September.

The decision to share the prize between nominees is part of a growing trend, with the Turner Prize and the Art Fund Museum of the Year award following the same model in recent years.