The NOVO BANCO Photo prize constitutes one of the most significant moments of artistic recognition in the calendar. Since its broadening in 2011 to artists from Lusophone countries, this prize has constituted an important hub for the exchange of skills and experiences within the ambit of these communities, contributing towards an active cultural convergence between them.

The 2015 Prize enjoyed the participation of a prestigious selection jury, with the following members: Adriano Pedrosa, Artistic Director of São Paulo Museum of Art; Bisi Silva, Director of CCA – Centre for Contemporary Art in Lagos, Nigeria, and Luís Silva, Curator of Kunsthalle Lissabon, Lisbon. The shortlist was: Ângela Ferreira, from Lisbon;
Ayrson Heráclito, from Salvador; and Edson Chagas, from Luanda. The jury’s aim has been not only to reward the outstanding trajectories of these artists, but also to map
out the points of contact between their works. A manifest link with West African cultures, either as it persists in memory, or as it is experienced in the present, is evident
in all these works, made specifically for this project.

The winner of the 2015 prize will be chosen in September by a jury composed of artist and independent curator Dana Whabira (London, Harare); art historian and lecturer
at New York City University Manthia Diawara (Bamako, New York); and art historian and lecturer at Cornell University Salah Hassan (Cartum, New York).

Pedro Lapa
Artistic Director
Museu Coleção Berardo