The call for entries for one of South Africa’s oldest and most respected art competitions, the Sasol New Signatures Art Competition, is now open.

Now in its 31st year of existence, the competition calls on this year’s entrants to enter works that are “imaginative, transgressive, transcendent, disruptive, boundless and ‘beyond’,” said new National Chairperson, Pfunzo Sidogi.

Explaining further, he said: “The world today is complex and full of seemingly irreconcilable contradictions, and as we march into a new decade, visual artists are best equipped to make sense of our dynamic, interconnected, and challenging environments. By promoting art that is ingrained with an aura of possibility and potentiality, the ‘beyond’ moniker is a call for artists to go ‘beyond’ mere mimesis of the global malaise.”

Emerging artists across the country have the opportunity to submit their works at various collection points on Wednesday, 24 June and Thursday, 25 June 2020 between 10h00 and 16h00.

This annual competition is open to all South African artists who are 18 years and older, who have not yet held a solo exhibition. Artists who have held a solo exhibition for academic purposes, for example, a Master’s degree exhibition, are allowed to enter. Artists are able to submit artworks in all artistic mediums including photography, performance art, video and installations.

Not only do emerging artists benefit immensely from the profile of being named a winner but it is also “an enabler for emerging artists to not only unsettle societal conventions, but to also expand the possibilities of art” says Sidogi.

The overall competition winner receives R100 000 and an opportunity of a solo exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum (terms and conditions apply) with the runner-up receiving R25 000 and five merit awards winners receiving R10 000 each.

Patrick Rulore, who won 2019 competition for his work titled Stage 4 Moments – which is an oil on canvas – said the competition is “a wonderful platform to expose emerging artists and to show the huge belief this corporate company has in emerging artists. It has opened doors for me as an emerging artist. The Sasol New Signatures competition sort of means you leap-frog ten big steps at once. This sort of achievement usually takes fifteen years.”

Artists can enter by downloading entry forms from www.sasolnewsignatures.co.za. All details regarding Feedback Sessions as well as collection points and conditions of entry are also available on the website.

Due to the national state of disaster declared to curb the spread of Coronavirus in our country, and guidelines on social distancing and gathering, the Information Sessions held in previous years will not take place this year. Artists can, however, follow us on twitter (#sasolnewsignatures) and visit the website for regular updates for further information, tips and more.

The winners of this year’s competition will be announced on 26 August, and the Sasol New Signatures exhibition will run from. 27 August to 04 October 2020.