Zarina Bhimji, a Ugandan Indian photographer, filmmaker, and installation artist, has been awarded the Roswitha Haftmann Prize. This prestigious prize, established in 2001 and administered by Kunsthaus Zürich, is Europe’s largest arts prize and comes with a cash award of 150,000 Swiss francs ($177,000). The prize is typically awarded in recognition of an artist’s lifetime body of work. Bhimji will receive the award at a ceremony on November 29 at Kunsthaus Zürich.
Bhimji, born in Mbarara, Uganda, in 1963, fled the country with her family during General Idi Amin’s expulsion of Asians. Now based in London, she frequently travels to East Africa and India, setting up temporary open-air studios to conduct research for her work. Her films, often devoid of people, explore themes of place through architecture and landscape, capturing the memories and histories embedded in these environments.
Thomas Wagner, a member of the Roswitha Haftmann Foundation’s board, praised Bhimji’s work for its ability to emotionally engage audiences and provoke reflection. He highlighted her unique blend of life, art, politics, and history, noting that her films reveal the hidden truths within romanticized landscapes and historical narratives.
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