Hosted in partnership with the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, the PPC Imaginarium Awards is a modern art and design competition for emerging artists to showcase their talent through the medium of concrete. Interested persons can now register for the 2017/18 competition now for a chance to launch their careers, with a R100 000 grand prize. For winners and finalists in Zimbabwe, prizes will be in the USD equivalent. Established in 1913, PPC has produced cement used to build many iconic landmarks and constructions across Zimbabwe. The Imaginarium Awards had been run in South Africa by PPC and they thought it worthy to extend them to Zimbabwe.
At the cocktail opening the International Conference on African Cultures at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, which was sponsored by PPC, the Imaginarium Awards were launched. Speaking at the event, Head of PPC Zimbabwe Mr Kelibone Masiyane expressed that their vision is to be a powerful force for development of African infrastructure and people. He went on to highlight that wherever PPC is present, they strive to invest in, and uplift local people and communities. He also hinted that the PPC Imaginarium would be a long term partnership, saying: “The nature of art is to convey, through line, shape, colour…through sound and movement…, the experience and vision of the artist, in a language that is both distinctive and universal.
This language in turn broadens our experience and vision, reminding us of our diversities and our commonalities, our past and our future, our challenges and our opportunities. The Zimbabwean arts sector is rich in talent, but is often left behind when it comes to financial support and investment. We hope that as we continue to support Zimbabwean artists over the coming years, we will begin to see more businesses supporting the arts community, helping its growth and nurturing its vibrancy.” The PPC Imaginarium has six disciplines that can be submitted in, which are, Architecture, Fashion, Film, Industrial Design, Jewellery and Sculpture.
Concrete is after all a very versatile material. On the night of the launch, PPC architect, Daniel van der Merwe, gave a detailed overview of how the competition works and also showed past year’s winners and what they came up with. The judges will be looking for outstanding craftsmanship, aesthetic appeal, as well as a balance between technical excellence and commercial appreciation in the six categories. Interested artists and designers may enter in up to three categories but they can only submit one entry per category. Category winners will receive R50 000 or USD equivalent and runners up R15 000 or USD equivalent. ENTRY IS AT www.ppcimaginarium.com.
