The European Art Award for Painting and Graphic Arts in the Context of Mental Disability
The Augustinum Stiftung has awarded the euward every three years since 2000. This distinction is the most important award internationally for art in the context of mental disability. Its goal is to promote unknown artists and to make their creativity accessible to the public.
The art of persons with a mental disability has developed strongly in recent years. Alongside the tradition of “Art Brut” or “Outsider Art”, it now forms a new artistic scene. “Supervised studios” often provide the conditions that the talents need to realise themselves as freelance artists.
euward’s aspiration is to reveal the artistic quality in the work of these cultural outsiders. The award makes clear their importance for our culture. Their artistic creations are a vital impulse in contemporary art. Purely social aspects do not play a role.