Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art is excited to announce that the winner of the second annual Prefix Prize is Andreas Rutkauskas. A resident of Kelowna, B.C., Rutkauskas is a creative documentarian whose photographic projects typically feature landscapes marred by industrial and technological intervention. Juried by a panel of seven senior experts in contemporary photographic art, the prize is a core programme of the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival.
As the recipient of the Prefix Prize, Andreas Rutkauskas receives this exhibition, a publication and a cash prize. This exhibition features selected photographs from After the Fire (2019, ongoing), a series inspired by the artist’s personal experiences with wildfire seasons of increasing intensity. The associated publication P.S.–2.2 is available exclusively digital and entirely free, and can be downloaded from www.prefix.ca as of May 30th, 2022.
The artworks in the exhibition are available for sale. The price list is available onsite at the gallery, or at www.prefix.ca.
About the artist
Andreas Rutkauskas is a photographic artist. He received a BFA from the University of Manitoba (Winnipeg) and an MFA in Photography from Concordia University (Montréal). His work has been exhibited in art galleries, museums and artist-run centres across Canada and internationally. The recipient of numerous residencies, including the Canadian Forces Artists Program, the Chilkoot Trail Artist Residency and the Banff Centre, he most recently completed the inaugural residency at the Fondation Grantham pour l’art et l’environment (Saint-Edmond-de-Grantham, QC). A research fellow with the Canadian Photography Institute, National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa) in 2018, he is currently a lecturer in Creative Studies, Visual Arts at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus.
About the Prefix Prize
Launched in 2021, the Prefix Prize is awarded annually to a photographic artist of any nationality. Designed to honour artists at any stage of their careers who have yet to receive the recognition they deserve, the prize consists of an exhibition, a publication and a cash award of $2,000.00.
About Prefix ICA
Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art is a registered charitable organization, based in Toronto, that fosters the appreciation and understanding of contemporary photographic, media and digital arts through exhibitions, publications, public programmes and related activities.
Acknowledgements
For their support of The Prefix Prize, Prefix ICA gratefully acknowledges our host, Urbanspace Gallery; presentation partners, the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival, Tangled Art and Disability, and Underline Studio; and founding partner, Partners in Art. Prefix also gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Toronto Arts Council with funding from the City of Toronto.
For more information, please contact Prefix ICA at prize@prefix.ca.
Photo: Andreas Rutkauskas, Mount Christie Wildfire (2021) from After the Fire. Courtesy the artist.