M&C Saatchi Group + Saatchi Gallery announce Haining Wang from China as overall winner of climate-focused global Art for Change Prize

M&C Saatchi Group and Saatchi Gallery have announced Haining Wang, from Beijing, China, as the overall winner of their international art initiative, Art for Change Prize, which invited emerging artists from around the world to creatively respond to the theme of ‘Regeneration’ for the chance to win a grand prize of £10,000.

Last night, Wang (pictured above) was announced as the overall global winner of the Art for Change Prize at a dedicated exhibition unveiling at Saatchi Gallery, by chair of judges, Justine Simons. The evening included a panel discussion with some of the leading voices in arts, culture and sustainability, who discussed the power of global creativity to transform the conversation around the climate emergency. Wang will receive a £10,000 cash prize, as well as having her winning artwork, Molt (The Time Reset Aqua)and Molt (Lather & Peel, Bain Lumiere), displayed in the gallery from 30th November 2023 until 7th January 2024.

Influenced by a career in the finance industry, Wang’s work considers the politics of corporate life and social hierarchy in the context of global capitalism and consumerism. She received a B.A. from Yale University in Ethics, Politics, and Economics (2016) and an M.A. at the Royal College of Art in Contemporary Art Practice (2023). Her winning installation, Molt (Lather & Peel, Bain Lumiere) and Molt (The Time Reset Aqua) reflects on the relationship between subject and object, commodities and bodies, consumption, and trace by hinting at consumerism’s provocation of excess. The title of the body of work – “Molt” – refers to the process by which animals shed skin as part of a natural process of regeneration. The installation explores the idea that behind the consumption of beauty and cosmetic products lurks an urge to preserve and perfect – an ironic nod to the lasting impact of commodity culture on the environment. The empty bottles and vessels stand as relics of this culture that will soon grow obsolete, stripped of brand adornment but still identifiable as shells. The ubiquitous containers are embalmed while their exoskeletons are extracted. Erect or limp, plump or wrinkled, they are traces left behind, reduced to pockets of air trapped in plastic skins – muted rubber phantoms.

This year’s climate-focused prize celebrates the power of global creativity to transform the conversation around the climate emergency. The total number of entries increased by 20% from last year, totalling 3,000, from artists based in 130 countries within M&C Saatchi Key global regions (Americas, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East & Africa and UK), with over 56% of them developing nations from within Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. A winner from each location was carefully selected by some of the best business and creative minds from M&C Saatchi Group globally and a special selection of eminent guest judges.

Each winner in this non-for-profit initiative will receive a £2,000 cash prize, as well as having their artworks displayed alongside Wang’s at Saatchi Gallery. The winning artworks open a conversation to examine this year’s theme from different global perspectives, look to create new stories of a liveable future, and empower individuals and entities to act. It’s a call to action for meaningful change, recognising that there is no art on a dead planet.

The five regional winners were:

• Americas Winner – Ingrid Weyland from Buenos Aires, Argentina for her work Topographies of Fragility XXXV and Topographies of Fragility XXXVI

• Australia Winner – Jen Valender (pictured below) from Melbourne, Australia for her work Sediment and Artist as Animal

• Europe Winner – Alina Zamanova from Kyiv, Ukraine for her work Our Children are Fighting too

• Middle East & Africa Winner – Chibuike Ifedilichukwu from Anambra, Nigeria for his work Equality State

• UK Winner – Natasha Botelho Cook from London, England for her work The Garden of Dried Roses

The prize was launched as part of a shared mission by M&C Saatchi Group and Saatchi Gallery in making art, culture, and creativity accessible to everyone. The aim is to highlight and stimulate dialogue around visual arts as an active medium for positive global and social change and give exposure to emerging artists worldwide.

Says Richard Thompson, chairman, M&C Saatchi UK Group: “Now in our second year, we’ve been delighted to see the Art for Change Prize grow even bigger with 20% more entries from every corner of the globe. As a global creative solutions company, we believe we have an obligation to help identify the next generation of artists to help tackle the increasing barriers to entry to the creative industry. Given the urgency and importance, Regeneration is a critical theme to explore to drive positive and social change across the world and is something M&C Saatchi are firmly committed to.”

Says Justine Simons OBE, London’s deputy mayor for culture and creative industries, founder and chair of the World Cities Cultural Forum and Art for Change Prize chair of judges: “I was honoured to chair the judging panel for the Art for Change Prize, which celebrates the ability of art to create real world change. Art has the power to spark a conversation, it can bring a fresh perspective and can play an important role in transforming the conversation around the climate emergency.

“Congratulations to Haining Wang for winning the prestigious award and to all the other shortlisted artists for such powerful responses to this year’s theme ‘Regeneration’.”

Says Justin Graham, group CEO APAC, M&C Saatchi: “Haining’s outstanding work not only captures the essence of our global mission but also reflects the diverse creativity emerging from our Region. As we champion the next generation of artists, this achievement underscores the universal language of art in addressing the critical theme of regeneration amidst the urgent climate emergency we collectively face. Congratulations to Haining and all the regional winners for turning art into a powerful catalyst for change.”

Says Paul Foster, Saatchi Gallery director: “The diversity and quality of works created by the regional winners of the Art for Change Prize this year take the breath away. These winning works remind us that contemporary artists have something important to express about how we live that is relevant to all of us. Someday soon, a work will emerge about the climate crisis that will have the same impact in the 21st century as Guernica did about war in the 20th century.”