The annual PPC Imaginarium Awards is gearing up for its 2019 edition in Zimbabwe. The competition opened for online registrations in July 2018 and entries are set to close on 30 November 2018.
This prestigious competition invites creatives to test their skills and produce innovative works using Portland cement-based concrete. Entrants stand to win their share of publicity, mentorship opportunities and substantial cash prizes!
The competition focuses on the use of the concrete medium as an art form and was launched in Zimbabwe in 2017 to an overwhelming response from local artists and creative practitioners. The medium of concrete presents an exciting new challenge for artists within Zimbabwe, a country well-known for its soapstone sculptures.
Launched by renowned cement company PPC Ltd, the PPC Imaginarium Awards gives emerging creatives the chance to showcase their talent and creative thinking across the competition’s six categories: Film, Fashion, Jewellery, Sculpture, Architecture and Industrial Design. The competition is run in Zimbabwe and South Africa (where it is now in its 5th year) and has seen many of its past entrants and finalists go on to become recognised in the art and business community.
As part of the preparation process for the competition, Zimbabwean entrants will have the opportunity to attend a series of free workshops after completing the entry registration process. The workshops will take place between 15-25 January 2019 in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare.
These intensive workshops are focused on exploring the technical elements of working with concrete. Participants will be taught skills such a creating moulds and how to apply different techniques. At the end of the workshop, participants will be given PPC cement and Chryso products to assist them with completing their physical submissions.
Once the physical submissions have been judged, the winning entries for each category will be announced at a Gala Event at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Harare, on 30 May 2019.
In the inaugural round of the competition in Zimbabwe, the bulk of the works entered were in Sculpture and Fashion. Victor Nyakauru won the Sculpture Prize with his work Bread and Butter Issues, while Sandra Matamisa clinched the Fashion Award with her piece called New Dispensation. Neville Starling and Ska Sebata got honorable mention awards with Whose Memory, Whose Place and Untitled respectively.
These works were then exhibited at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. The ongoing cooperation between PPC Ltd and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe was recognised at the 2018 Business and Arts South Africa Awards, with a nomination for the Beyond Borders Partnership Award.
The PPC Imaginarium Awards is open to artists, designers and architecture students living in South Africa and Zimbabwe – including resident holders and foreign students with study permits living in both countries. In order to qualify, entrants must not be established professionally in their respective industries.