The recipient of the main prize was selected by an independent jury composed of figures from the same field: Tobia Bezzola, Vanessa Billy, Beat Zoderer.
The jury explains its decision as follows:
The jury chose Klaudia Schifferle for this year’s award. She is an artist whose multifaceted work has been decisively shaping the Swiss art and cultural landscape for decades. As a painter, draughtswoman, sculptor and musician, Klaudia Schifferle has created an independent, unmistakable oeuvre that impresses through its uncompromising authenticity.
In her visual work, Schifferle unfolds a powerful, expressive visual language that draws from within and at the same time reflects contemporary social sensibilities. Her paintings, drawings and sculptural works are permeated by energy, vulnerability and contradiction. In addition to her visual work, Klaudia Schifferle has also achieved cult status as a member of the legendary women’s punk band Kleenex/LiLiPUT. Her musical activity as a pioneer of the alternative music scene of the 1970s and 80s likewise exemplifies an attitude that regards no rule of art as untouchable and stands for spontaneous expression and artistic freedom.
By honoring Klaudia Schifferle, the jury not only recognizes an impressive body of work, but also sends a signal for the importance of artistic originality and interdisciplinary creativity. Her work moves effortlessly between art forms, styles and schools, and is an exemplary expression of a free, courageous and unconventional artistic existence.
The recipient of the main prize was entrusted with selecting the winner of the sponsorship prize. Klaudia Schifferle chose Sveta Mordovskaya. She is a younger artist who has long lived and worked in Zurich. Klaudia Schifferle: «Time and again in recent years I have encountered the works of Sveta Mordovskaya and I find her work exciting, poetic and wonderful.»