Call for papers: Nasher Prize Graduate Symposium

Nasher Sculpture Center announces an open call for participation in the Nasher Prize Graduate Symposium, which aims to expand scholarship on the field of contemporary sculpture in its many forms. Submissions should address themes related to the work of the 2025 Nasher Prize Laureate Otobong Nkanga, the first laureate to receive the award in the Nasher’s new biennial format. 

The Nasher Prize Graduate Symposium–dedicated to the work of Nkanga and open to graduate students from around the world, studying in any field–will take place virtually from February 27–March 1, 2024. The multi-day event will address a broad audience of art historians and museum professionals, allowing symposium participants to receive feedback from fellow presenters, the moderator, the keynote speaker, and audience members. This year’s symposium will be moderated by Trey Burns, artist and writer, co-founder of Sweet Pass Sculpture Park, and Professor of Art at University of North Texas. Students selected to participate will have their papers published in the annual Nasher Prize Graduate Symposium Compendium, released in April 2025 including a paper delivered by a keynote speaker. 

Suggested topics for the work of Nasher Prize Laureate Otobong Nkanga 
–Interdependency 
–Rootedness 
–Extraction of natural resources 
–Migration 
–Materials and the senses 

Preference will be given to those submissions that focus on the work of Otobong Nkanga.

Complete proposals must include
–Contact information, participant’s field and university affiliation, and CV 
–Paper title and abstract of no more than 200 words, and 3 to 5 keywords 

Proposals are due by Sunday, January 14, 2024. Send submissions and questions to symposium@nashersculpturecenter.org.

About Otobong Nkanga 
Born in 1974 in Kano, Nigeria, Otobong Nkanga lives and works in Antwerp, Belgium. She has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the Frist Art Museum, Nashville (2023); Sint-Janshospitaal, Bruges (2022); Kunsthaus Bregenz, Bregenz (2021); Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art, Turin (2021); Villa Arson, Nice (2021); Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Sandvika (2020);  Gropius Bau, Berlin (2020); Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (2020); Tate St Ives (2019); Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, Cape Town (2019); Ar/ge kunst Galleria Museo, Bolzano (2018); Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2018); Kunsthal Aarhus (2017); Nottingham Contemporary (2016); Beirut Art Center (2016); Tate Modern, London (2015); Museum Folkwang, Essen (2015); Stedelijk Museum Schiedam (2015); Portikus, Frankfurt (2015), Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (2015); Kadist Art Foundation, Paris (2015). Her work has been prominently featured in international biennials, including the 58th Venice Biennale (2019); documenta 14 (2017); and the 13th Biennale de Lyon (2015). 

Nkanga was the recipient of the inaugural Lise Wilhelmsen Art Award Programme (2019); the Special Mention Award at the 58th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Italy (2019); the Belgium Art Prize (2017); and the Yanghyun Prize (2015). Her works are held in institutional collections including Foundation Beyeler, Basel; Museum Brugge, Bruges; Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterloo; Art Gallery of Ontario; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Tate Modern, London; Museum voor Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerpen; Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Turin; Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam; Museum Arnhem; Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki; Studio Museum in Harlem, New York; Weltkulturen Museum, Frankfurt; Nevada Museum of Art, Reno; Queensland Art Gallery; Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven; Mu.ZEE Oostende; Centre National de Arts Plastiques, Paris; and Museum Folkwang, Essen.