Critics’ Best: El Anatsui Exhibition Among Those Recognized for Excellence

AICA-USA ANNOUNCED THE WINNERS of its annual Best Show awards this week. “Gravity and Grace: Works by El Anatsui” at the Brooklyn Museum (shown above) was recognized for excellence in the Best Monographic Museum Show in New York category. Exhibitions featuring Nick Cave, Isaac Julien, Kerry James Marshall and Wangechi Mutu, were among the finalists in other categories.

Each year, the New York-based association of more than 400 art critics, curators and scholars honors curatorial achievement for “the conception and realization of exhibitions by galleries, museums, and related cultural institutions.” Nine categories of exhibitions on view between January and December 2013 were judged and first and second place winners, along with finalists, were selected for each. For the first time, art writing is also being celebrated this year, with awards given for art criticism, blogging and arts reporting. Award highlights include:

BEST PRESENTATION IN AN ALTERNATIVE VENUE

Finalist – “A Different Kind of Order: The International Center of Photography Triennial” (group show including Wangechi Mutu) | New York
Finalist – “The River Between Us” (group show including Bernard Williams and Keith Williams) | Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis and Longue Vue House and Gardens, New Orleans

BEST TIME-BASED FORMAT

Finalist – “Isaac Julien: Ten Thousand Waves” | Museum of Modern Art, New York

BEST MONOGRAPHIC MUSEUM SHOW IN NEW YORK

2nd Place – “Gravity and Grace: Works by El Anatsui” | Brooklyn Museum (above)

BEST MONGRAPHIC MUSEUM SHOW NATIONALLY

Finalist – “In the Tower: Kerry James Marshall” | National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (shown at right)
Finalist – “Nick Cave: Sojourn” | Denver Art Museum
Finalist – “Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey” | Nasher Museum, Duke University in Durham, N.C.; traveled to Brooklyn Museum

BEST THEMATIC MUSEUM SHOW IN NEW YORK

Finalist – “Soundings: A Contemporary Score” (a group show including Camille Norment) | Museum of Modern Art, New York

BEST THEMATIC MUSEUM SHOW NATIONALLY

Finalist – “Great and Mighty Things: Outsider Art from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection” (including works by David Butler, Sam Doyle, William Edmondson, Sister Gertrude Morgan, Elijah Pierce, Ellis Ruley, Herbert Singleton, Simon Sparrow, Bill Traylor, Josehp Yoakum, and Purvis Yount) | Philadelphia Museum of Art.

BEST CRITICISM

Finalist – “Isaac Julien: Riot,” Multiple authors; David Frankel, editor | Published by Museum of Modern Art, New York

The largest affiliate of the International Association of Art Critics, AICA-USA has been paying tribute to exhibition excellence for more than a quarter century. The awards will be presented May 12 in New York. CT

Images: From top, “Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui” at the Brooklyn Museum, Feb. 8-Aug. 18, 2013; Detail of “Great America,” 1994 (acrylic and collage on canvas) by Kerry James Marshall at The National Gallery of Art | Photos by Victoria L. Valentine