Gabriel Orozco Wins the blueOrange 2006 Prize

COLOGNE, Feb. 20, 2006—The second competition for the blueOrange has been decided: The jury selected the Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco, born in 1962 and living in New York, Paris and Mexico City, as the winner of the blueOrange 2006. Awarded by the German Cooperative Banks - Deutsche Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken - the blueOrange is one of the most prestigious and valuable prizes for visual arts in Germany and Europe.

"With his broad spectrum of works, Orozco has for years challenged our perception of reality. We are delighted that the art prize will enable the German Cooperative Banks in partnership with the Museum Ludwig Cologne to show a major solo exhibition of this internationally renown artist in Germany," is how Christopher Pleister, President of the National Association of German Cooperative Banks (BVR), commented on the decision of the jury.

The blueOrange, awarded every two years, is endowed with a total in prize-money of 77,00 euros and an exhibition of the prize-winner in one of Germanys prominent art institutions. 7,000 euros of the prize-money are earmarked for an emerging artist, who is selected by the prize-winner. In 2006, it will therefore be Gabriel Orozco who will choose the recipient of this supporting award.

The award ceremony and exhibition opening will take place on November 2nd, 2006, at the Museum Ludwig Cologne, the partner institution of the blueOrange 2006. The exhibition of Gabriel Orozco will be on view from November 3rd, 2006, to January 28th, 2007.

Along with Gabriel Orozco the shortlist of the blueOrange included the artist duo Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller, Douglas Gordon, Mona Hatoum, Aernout Mik, Dan Perjovschi and Tobias Rehberger.

For further information see http://www.blueorange.bvr.de