Renowned Ugandan Indian artist Zarina Bhimji, celebrated for her evocative films and photographs exploring place, history, and memory, has been awarded the 2024 Roswitha Haftmann Prize. The award, which comes with a CHF 150,000 ($177,000) cash prize, is the largest art award in Europe and honors lifetime achievement in the visual arts. Bhimji is the 22nd recipient of this prestigious honor, and the prize will be presented to her at a ceremony on November 29, 2024, at Kunsthaus Zürich.
Born in Uganda in 1963 to Indian parents, Bhimji was forced to flee her home country at the age of eleven during General Idi Amin’s brutal expulsion of 80,000 Asians. She relocated to the UK, where she pursued her passion for art, studying at Leicester Polytechnic, Goldsmiths, and the Slade School of Fine Art. Bhimji’s art is deeply intertwined with themes of history, politics, and memory, often exploring the remnants of colonialism and exile. Her works traverse abandoned landscapes, capturing architectural details and traces of human presence, while revealing the complex emotional and historical layers that these spaces hold.
Bhimji’s films and photographs are known for their quiet yet profound meditations on landscapes, architecture, and traces of human presence, often delving into the complex narratives of colonization, migration, and memory. Thomas Wagner, a board member of the Roswitha Haftmann Foundation, lauded Bhimji’s work for its “implicitly empathetic and aesthetically fascinating” qualities, which “encourage emotional engagement and reflection.” He added, “Her films uncover the hidden poison in romanticized landscapes and sanitized national histories, making her work more relevant today than ever.”
The Roswitha Haftmann Prize, established in 2001 by the late Swiss gallerist Roswitha Haftmann, is awarded annually by a jury comprising directors of leading European museums. Past laureates include icons such as Cindy Sherman, Robert Ryman, and Maria Lassnig, further solidifying Bhimji’s place among the most influential contemporary artists.
In celebration of Bhimji’s recognition, two of her critically acclaimed films, Yellow Patch (2011) and Blind Spot (2023), will be screened at Kunsthaus Zürich from November 29, 2024, to April 6, 2025. Both films exemplify Bhimji’s mastery of visual storytelling, using deserted landscapes and architectural fragments to evoke the presence of histories long past, yet deeply felt.
Bhimji’s art has long received international acclaim, with works housed in prestigious institutions such as Tate and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Her receipt of the Roswitha Haftmann Prize further underscores her significant impact on the global art landscape, and her ability to intertwine personal, political, and historical narratives into profoundly moving visual experiences.
