Shortlist for 2024 Henrike Grohs Art Award announced

The Henrike Grohs Art Award is a roving biennial art prize conceived by Goethe-Institut and the Grohs family in memory of the former head of Goethe-Institut in Ivory Coast, Henrike Grohs, who was killed along with 18 others in the 2016 Grand-Bassam terrorist attack. Grohs was instrumental in setting up the Music In Africa project in 2011. She served as a board member of the Music In Africa Foundation for two years and stepped down to focus on her responsibilities as the director of Goethe-Institut in Abidjan. She was 51 years old at the time of her death.

The winning artist or collective will receive a cash prize of €20 000 and €10 000 towards the publication on their work. Two artists or collectives will be selected as runners-up and awarded €5 000 each. Previous award winners include Gladys Kalichini (Zambia), Jackie Karuti (Kenya) and Em'kal Eyongakpa (Cameroon).

“We received a record number of applications for the 2024 Henrike Grohs Art Award – 690 applications from 40 countries across the African continent,” Goethe-Institut said. “Twenty-one artists have been shortlisted by a selection committee made up of Martha Kazungu, Jean Kamba and Edna Bettencourt. An international jury will select the top three award winners.”

The prize is run through an open-call process and aimed at young artists who live and work on the African continent. It is awarded biennially to an artist or arts collective practising in the field of visual arts. Artistic quality is the most important criteria for the award.

Henrike Grohs Art Award shortlisted artists:

• Fezeka Jacqueline Mophethe (South Africa)
• Tamary Kudita (Zimbabwe)
• Khadija El Abyad (Morocco)
• Luis Santos (Mozambique)
• Koffi Seble (Togo)
• Tshepiso Mabula ka Ndongeni (South Africa)
• Assoukrou Aké (Ivory Coast)
• Kay-Leigh Fisher (South Africa)
• Rita Mawuena Benissan (Ghana)
• Kitso Lynn Lelliott (South Africa)
• Mellaney Roberts (South Africa)
• Wambui Kamiru Collymore (Kenya)
• Mohamed El Masry (Egypt)
• Frederick Ebenezer Okai (Ghana)
• Helena Uambembe (Angola/South Africa)
• Usha Seejarim (South Africa)
• Pamina Sebastião (Angola)
• Bright Ackwerh (Ghana)
• Tessi Kodjovi (Togo)
• Jean Katambayi Mukendi (DRC)
• Paul Alden Mvoutoukoulou (Congo-Brazzaville)

Learn more about the artists here.