Köler Prize

Köler Prize is a contempoary art prize established by EKKM in 2011 with the aim of highlighting notable artists in the local art field and recognising and promoting contemporary art on a wider scale.

Five Estonian artists or collectives or artists based in Estonia are nominated for the Köler Prize each time, based on their work of the last three years. The nominees of the Köler Prize are selected by the board of EKKM. The format of the Köler Prize also includes an exhibition of the nominees, where the selected artists present two of their chosen art works – the first, an older work and the second, a new work created for the Köler Prize exhibition. The Grand Prix of the Köler Prize is selected by an international jury, based on the nominees’ artistic practice and the works they present at the exhibition. Based on the votes of the visitors of the exhibition, the People’s Choice Award is announced as well.

Until 2015, Köler Prize took place annually and since 2016, biannually. The last Köler Prize was announced in 2018. Currently, Köler Prize’s activities have been halted until the new main sponsor is found.

Previously, the Köler Prize has been won by Jevgeni Zolotko (2011), Flo Kasearu (2012), Jaanus Samma (2013), Jass Kaselaan (2014), Anu Vahtra (2015)
Laura Põld (2016), and Anna Škodenko (2018, shared) and Tanja Muravskaja (2018, shared).

The People’s Choice Award of the Köler Prize has been awarded to Tõnis Saadoja (2011), Flo Kasearu (2012), Jaanus Samma (2013), Johannes Säre (2014), Edith Karlson (2015), Art Allmägi (2016) and Holger Loodus (2018).

Between 2011 and 2018 the Grand Prix of the Köler Prize was sponsored by Smarten Logistics AS. The People’s Choice Award of the Köler Prize has previously been supported by Temnikova & Kasela gallery in collaboration with the legal bureau Lawin (2011–2012), architecture bureau Salto AB (2013–2016) and the Kruuse family (2018).

All editions of the Köler Prize have been accompanied by video portraits of the nominees, available here: https://www.ekkm.ee/ekraaniproovid/