Lindsay Seers Wins The Jarman Award

Film London and Channel 4 announced Lindsay Seers as the winner of this year’s prestigious Jarman Award at an exclusive ceremony held last night at the Whitechapel Gallery.

Seers’ vast, eclectic yet distinctive body of work made her stand out from a strong shortlist, which included artist duo Anja Kirschner & David Panos, Simon Martin and Stephen Sutcliffe.

The Jarman Award jury, chaired by Tate Modern’s Curator of Film and Film London board member, Stuart Comer, called this year’s winner “a compelling storyteller” whose works “effortlessly distil complex ideas into concise and engrossing narratives.”

Seers’ work is an ongoing investigation into how cinematic and photographic technologies shape us. Using theories of perception, she creates narratives which integrate scientific and philosophical concepts, often presenting highly shocking plot twists such as stalkings, burglaries and shipwrecks.

Recent exhibitions of her work include Altermodern, Fourth Tate Triennial, Tate Britain (2009); It has to be this way, Matt’s Gallery (2009); Event Horizon, Royal Academy of Art (2008); and Swallowing Black Maria, Smart Project Space, Amsterdam (2007).

Samples of her work, alongside films by the rest this year’s shortlisted artists, took part in the first Jarman Award Tour, a series of free events presented by Film London held in Bristol, Glasgow and London throughout September.

Seers was presented with a £10,000 cash prize and a broadcast commission for Channel 4’s highly acclaimed strand 3 Minute Wonder (3MW). The shortlisted artists received awards of £1,000 each.

Film London’s Jarman Award is the only award of its kind where artists are rewarded with both, financial assistance and the opportunity to broadcast their work on primetime national television. Launched in 2008, the Award honours the memory of the late avant-garde British artist Derek Jarman. It gives recognition and support to unconventional and visionary artists working with the moving image, like Jarman.

Last year’s inaugural Jarman Award, was won by Glasgow-based artist Luke Fowler. Luke’s 3MW films can still be seen on the Channel 4 website.

Information about Lindsay Seers and each of this year’s shortlisted artists can be viewed online.

Read full details in the press release.