AWARE: Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions, a Paris-based nonprofit with a mission to reposition women artists in the canon of 20th century art history, will make its US debut in partnership with The Armory Show next month in New York. The partnership will culminate in the award of a juried prize, The AWARE Prize at The Armory Show to a solo presentation of work by a woman artist. (The Armory Show is open to public from March 5-8, 2020, at Piers 90 and 94, New York City.)

The prize highlights the excellence of the artist’s work and the gallery’s courage to present a solo-female artists’ work in a market that has systematically undervalued art made by women. AWARE co-founder Camille Morineau will curate a walk-through of The Armory Show highlighting 25 presentations of work by women artists entitled (Un)seen Scene, which will be available as an audio guide. (The Armory Show is open to public from March 5-8, 2020, at Piers 90 and 94, New York City.)

“I’m thrilled to partner with The Armory Show for a debut presentation of AWARE’s mission,” states co-founder Camille Morineau. “The women artists we have selected for (Un)seen Scene are united in their exploration of the concept of perception, or more importantly by what is not observable, what lies underneath the surface of things. It seems interesting, since we are ourselves in an endeavor of visibility, to focus on practices whose goal is to reveal what’s hidden to the eye or to the mind.”

The AWARE Prize at The Armory Show will be awarded to a superlative woman artist’s solo presentation at The Armory Show with a financial award of $10,000 to either a living artist or her estate. The prize will function to underscore the importance of the artist’s work as well as the courageousness of the artist’s gallery to undertake a solo-presentation of work by a woman artist.  Artwork made by women has been historically under-appreciated in the art market, The AWARE Prize at The Armory Show aims to correct this course and demonstrate both the academic and canonical importance of work by women artists as well as demonstrate a financial advantage to the exhibition of their work.

Jurors for The AWARE Prize at The Armory Show include AWARE co-founder and chairwoman Camille Morineau; Bloum Cardenas, Trustee, Niki Charitable Art Foundation and President of the Giardino dei Tarocchi; Simon Castets, Director, Swiss Institute; Maura Reilly, Founding Curator of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum.

Highlight solo presentations of artwork by women and contenders for The AWARE Prize at The Armory Show include:

·        Yuko Nasaka (b. 1939, Japan), Axel Vervoordt Gallery

·        Rina Banerjee (b. 1963, India), Galerie Nathalie Obadia

·        Aase Texmon Rygh (1925-2019, Norway), OSL Contemporary

·        Alexis Smith (b. 1949, USA), Garth Greenan Gallery

·        June Edmonds (b. 1959, US) with Luis de Jesus de Los Angeles

Curated by AWARE co-founder Camille Morineau, (Un)seen Scene is a focused walk through of 25 presentations of the work by female artists within the main section (Galleries) of The Armory Show.  This selection of artworks presents a critical and subjective overview of the works by modern and contemporary women artists from all over the world. Their works are found throughout the main section of the Armory Show and fall into three distinct categories: Abstraction: shapes and patterns, disturbing the gaze; Disclosing the beyond: science, magic and nature; Being shown and being seen: politics and identities.  Visitors will be guided through the tour via an audio guide narrated by Camille Morineau, enabling all visitors to experience a feminist perspective by established and emerging female artists.

Artists included in (Un)seen Scene are:

·        Bice Lazzari at Richard Saltoun Gallery, London

·        Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian at Haines Gallery, San Francisco

·        Aase Texmon Rygh at OSL contemporary, Oslo

·        Olga de Amaral at Richard Saltoun, London

·        Irma Blank at P420, Bologna

·        Yuko Nasaka at Axel Vervoordt Gallery, Antwerp

·        Martha Jungwirth at Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna

·        Fei Cui at Chambers Fine Art, New York

·        Claire Falkenstein at Michel Rosenfeld Gallery, New York

·        Simone Fattal at kaufman repetto, Milan

·        Ana Mendieta at Alison Jacques Gallery, London

·        Mariko Mori at Sean Kelly, New York

·        Su-Mei Tse at Peter Blum Gallery, New York

·        Mai-Thu Perret at Simon Lee Gallery, New York

·        Alicia Kwade at 303 Gallery, New York

·        Noémie Goudal at Galerie Les Filles du Calvaire, Paris

·        Betye Saar at Roberts Projects, Los Angeles

·        Hannah Wilke at Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York

·        Mary Kelly at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, New York

·        Susan Hefuna at Anne Mosseri-Marlio, Basel

·        Rina Banerjee at Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris

·        Alexis Smith at Garth Greenan Gallery, New York

·        Zanele Muholi at Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York

·        Nona Faustine Simmons at Two Palms, New York

·        Florine Demosthene at Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Chicago

AWARE: Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions is a French non-profit organization, co-founded in 2014 by Camille Morineau, art historian and specialist in the history of women artists. More info: awarewomenartists.com/en/