Pussy Riot shortlisted for inaugural contemporary art award

Punk band Pussy Riot has made it to a shortlist of 20 Asian artists in an inaugural competition launched by the Saatchi Gallery and art foundation Parallel Contemporary Art. Of the 20 artists shortlisted for the Prudential Eye Awards for Contemporary Asian Art, three are Russian.

In addition to Pussy Riot, who have been nominated for the digital art/video award, the Russian contingent includes Irina Korina in the installation category and Anya Zholud for sculpture. The finalists for each of the five categories will be announced on 18 January 2014 in Singapore, each winning a prize of $20,000. The overall winner will receive a solo exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery in the summer of 2014 as well as $50,000.

Nigel Hurst, chief executive officer of the Saatchi Gallery, said: “The range and breadth of contemporary art we reviewed is only possible in greater Asia. The diverse geographic origins and cultural influences in the work of hundreds of nominees presented the judges with a very interesting challenge. We hope the awards provide the international showcase that the shortlisted artists deserve.”