Elias Sime was born and still lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he creates collages and assemblages from found materials (like e-waste, and salvaged objects bought from local markets). His work Tightrope: Impulsive Juggernaut of Progress (2017), for instance, portrays a mountain made of circuit boards and reclaimed wires that directly challenge the viewer to look at the waste that is the byproduct of consumer electronics. He has had multiple exhibitions at James Cohan in New York, along with solo exhibitions at the Zoma Museum (which Sime co-founded), Addis Ababa (2019), GRIMM, Amsterdam (2018), and the Santa Monica Museum of Art (2009). His museum presence is also gaining steam: A major traveling survey of his work is on view now at the Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College (through December 8) and, in 2020, he will be the subject of a solo show at the Saint Louis Art Museum.
The winner will be annouced on October 22, 2020.
Please click here to watch a short video on the artist, produced for the occasion.