The Delfina Director is among the judges for the next edition of the preeminent British art prize
Aaron Cezar introducing a panel discussion with The Otolith Group at Delfina Foundation, 2014. Photo Tim Bowditch
Aaron Cezar, founding Director of Delfina Foundation, has been selected for the panel of the next Turner Prize, taking place in 2021.
Joining him on the jury are: Kim McAleese, program director of Grand Union; Zoé Whitley, director of Chisenhale Gallery; and Russell Tovey, actor, art collector, and host of the podcast Talk Art. The jury is chaired by Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain.
The prize will be presented at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry as part of the city’s UK City of Culture 2021 celebrations. The exhibition of the four shortlisted artists will run from 29 September 2021 to 12 January 2022.
First awarded in 1984, the Turner Prize is an annual prize awarded to an artist working primarily in Britain or an artist born in Britain working globally. The prize focuses on their recent developments in British art rather than a lifetime’s achievement.
Each year Tate selects a new panel of judges. The judges determine a short list of four British artists who have staged exemplary exhibitions or works around the globe. They make their final selection of the winner through a series of discussions until they arrive at a consensus.
Aaron Cezar biography
Over the last 12 years, Aaron has positioned Delfina Foundation as a meeting point and incubator of creative talent, forming partnerships with leading institutions internationally. He has devised Delfina Foundation’s ground-breaking thematic programmes such as Collecting as Practice, the first ever integrated residency programme for collectors and artists.
Aaron has curated external exhibitions, performances and programmes at Hayward Gallery Project Space, SongEun Artspace, ArtBo, and Art Dubai, to name a few. As part of the official public programme of the 58th Venice Art Biennale, he conceived the opening week and final weekend performances with Ralph Rugoff. Aaron has moderated high profile discussions in conferences as well as in the context of art fairs including Art Basel, Frieze and Art Brussels. He has written for The Art Newspaper, Harper’s Bazaar, and ArtAsiaPacific, among others. In 2019, together with Dani Burrows, he edited the book Politics of Food stemming from Delfina Foundation’s popular programme.
Aaron is Advisor-at-Large at Art Jameel, one of Delfina Foundation’s strategic partners, and he has been appointed to numerous boards, committees and advisory groups, currently including All Change Arts, Shubbak, Caribbean Art Initiative, Aga Khan Museum, and Alserkal Avenue. He has been a jury member for a number of awards such as Jarman Award (2012), LIVE WORKS Performance Act Award (2016), Samdani Artist Award (2012-2020), MOP CAP (2018), Absolut Creative Competition (2019) and others.
Prior to Delfina Foundation, Aaron worked as Project Director of Metal, the artistic laboratory space established by Jude Kelly OBE, ultimately becoming Managing Director of Metal’s arts-based consultancy overseeing creative projects with a focus on urban regeneration. He has also worked with London 2012, as part of its culture team that secured London’s Olympic bid; at The Place, London; and in New York, as a management consultant.
Aaron was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Arts, London in June 2017. He earned a postgraduate degree with distinction in the Creative & Cultural Industries from King’s College London. He graduated from Princeton University with a first degree in Economics and a certificate in Dance and Theatre.