NEW YORK, NY.- Six finalists for the Hugo Boss Prize 2018, the biennial award established in 1996 to recognize excellence in the visual arts, were announced today by Nancy Spector, Artistic Director and Jennifer and David Stockman Chief Curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, and jury chair for the prize. The short list of artists is selected by a panel of international critics and curators based on each artist’s contribution to the expansion of cultural, intellectual, and artistic boundaries with no restrictions regarding age, gender, nationality, or medium. In addition to their significant aesthetic and conceptual contributions to the field of contemporary art, the finalists’ practices collectively reflect the rich diversity of artistic production today.

The following artists are finalists for the Hugo Boss Prize 2018:

• Bouchra Khalili (b. 1975, Casablanca)
• Simone Leigh (b. 1967, Chicago)
• Teresa Margolles (b. 1963, Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico)
• Emeka Ogboh (b. 1977, Enugu, Nigeria)
• Frances Stark (b. 1967, Newport Beach, CA)
• Wu Tsang (b. 1982, Worcester, MA)

“The Hugo Boss Prize remains a cornerstone of the Guggenheim’s contemporary programming, and we are thrilled to highlight the work of these six deserving artists, who are working at the vanguard of contemporary art practice, exploring urgent social issues, and providing new artistic vocabulary through which to examine personal and universal themes,” said Nancy Spector. “We are pleased to join with Hugo Boss in this long-term commitment to celebrating the most important and impactful artists of their time.”

In a statement, the jury noted, “Each of the nominated artists selected for the Hugo Boss Prize 2018 short list represents a wholly unique voice in the field of contemporary art. Though their mediums and methods range widely, each pursues deeply existential inquiries into individual struggles as well as those with broader social resonances. Keenly attuned to their surroundings and today’s present moment, these six artists have demonstrated a commitment to bringing art to the center of timely debates in society.”

The prize, administered by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, includes a $100,000 cash prize for the winner, who will be featured in a solo exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. The Hugo Boss Prize 2018 winner will be announced in the fall of 2018, with the exhibition to follow in 2019.

“Building on the 20-year history of the Hugo Boss Prize, we are looking forward to celebrating its 2018 edition. The award is a very special and unique project in our arts program and we are extremely excited about this year’s short list,” said Mark Langer, CEO and Chairman of HUGO BOSS AG. “Our sincerest congratulations go out to the six nominees chosen by the jury.”