Tenant of Culture: Winner of the Camden Art Centre Emerging Artist Prize with Frieze

The artist literally opens up and exposes narratives of labour, production, luxury and waste held in the processes and products of the fashion industry, as well as the broader social and cultural histories of the clothes we wear. These ideas speak to increasingly urgent issues beyond the worlds of art, design and fashion. –Martin Clark, Director, Camden Art Centre

Tenant of Culture is the recipient of the 2020 Camden Art Centre Emerging Artist Prize with Frieze. Tenant of Culture, who is represented by Soft Opening, London, will realise a major exhibition at Camden Art Centre in 2022.

The annual Emerging Artist Prize – unveiled for the first time at Frieze London 2018 and now in its third year – offers invaluable critical exposure to an emerging artist, concurrent with their first show at a London institution. The prize winner will be supported by the experienced Camden Art Centre curatorial team, and the show will be underpinned by an extensive programme of public talks and events.

Tenant of Culture is the artistic practice of Hendrickje Schimmel (b. 1990, Arnhem, Netherlands), who lives and works in London, UK. The artist’s practice is characterised by a repurposing of discarded materials to birth new forms in a critique on consumer culture and wastefulness.

Tenant of Culture was selected from the 35 galleries from 21 countries in the Focus section of the Frieze Viewing Rooms, the fair’s celebrated section supporting younger galleries and artists in earlier stages of their careers.

The 2020 Prize was selected by a panel chaired by Martin Clark (Director, Camden Art Centre), with Gina Buenfeld (Exhibition Curator, Camden Art Centre) and Rob Leckie, Director, Spike Island, Bristol. A group of UK and international patrons have generously supported the Prize, including Lead Supporters Alexandra Economou, Noach Vander Beken and Georgina Townsley. These patrons share an interest in supporting the work of emerging artists and the economy of younger galleries within the contemporary art scene.

For over 25 years Camden Art Centre has been committed to supporting and nurturing artists in the formative stages of their careers. The Camden Art Centre Emerging Artist Prize at Frieze continues this work, building on the gallery’s previous collaborations with artists including Emma Hart, Christian Nyampeta, Ruth Ewan, Jennifer Tee and Haroon Mirza. The 2018 Prize was awarded to Wong Ping (Eduoard Malingue Gallery, Hong Kong) whose exhibition ‘Heart Digger’ was realised to critical acclaim at Camden Art Centre and an off-site space at Cork St Galleries (from 5 July – 15 September 2019). The 2019 winner, Julien Creuzet (High Art Paris) will realise a show at the Centre in 2021.

Frieze Viewing Room, hosting Frieze London and Frieze Masters 2020 editions, is now open until Friday 16 October, midnight BST.

Visit Frieze Viewing Room Now