No, it is not a dream
Next year, seven young artists will get a call that will change their lives — through a Rolex mentorship
Imagine, as a young up-and-coming artist, the thrilling prospect of being mentored by one of the world’s greatest exponents of your craft. In 2016, seven young artists, from all around the world, will get a call from Rolex, one that will make the seemingly impossible come true.
For each one of them, that will mean a year of creative collaboration with one of the extraordinary artists pictured above: Sir David Chipperfield (architecture), Alfonso Cuarón (film), Ohad Naharin (dance), Mia Couto (literature), Robert Lepage (theatre), Joan Jonas (visual arts) and Philip Glass (music). They are the new mentors for the eighth cycle of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.
The programme was launched in 2002 to contribute to global culture by helping ensure that the world’s artistic heritage is passed on to the next generation.
Each mentor selects their protégé from a shortlist of finalists following a global search for gifted young people who would benefit most from the programme.
“Without such encouragement, perhaps I would not have challenged myself or had the confidence to imagine or dream,” says British architect Sir David Chipperfield
Mentoring may be a centuries-old tradition but the Rolex Arts Initiative gives it a modern twist, offering plenty of freedom for the mentoring pairs to exchange ideas, collaborate, and even have fun. The result is the creative alchemy that mentoring produces. Mentors report a refreshing and gratifying sense of “giving back”. Protégés find the experience life-changing. Doors open for them, work takes a new direction, sometimes lifelong friendships are made.
So why will these major artists give up their valuable time? American video and performance artist Joan Jonas hopes to have “a dialogue that might clarify thoughts and ideas… and to visit unknown spaces”.
British architect Sir David Chipperfield understands the power of mentoring. “Without such encouragement, perhaps I would not have challenged myself or had the confidence to imagine or dream,” he says.
For Canadian theatre director Robert Lepage, “It is a gift to get to work with someone who is not necessarily from your culture, who doesn’t necessarily speak your language, who lives in a different social reality.”
American composer Philip Glass says he is “interested in younger composers and how they’re hearing things… The best way of finding that out is by listening to music that people are writing, by meeting with composers and hearing what they’re doing. So the Rolex Arts Initiative programme is really an extension of an interest I’ve had in other composers for a long time.”
The new mentors were announced in Mexico City at a ceremony on 6 December 2015 to celebrate the end of the seventh cycle of the Arts Initiative. The programme is biennial.
About the mentors
Architecture
Driven by an approach to architecture that values “substance, permanence and meaning” above spectacle, British architect Sir David Chipperfield has gained renown for a diverse portfolio. Among his notable buildings are the reconstructed Neues Museum in Berlin, the Museo Júmex in Mexico City and the UK’s Turner Contemporary gallery, recently chosen as a 21st century British landmark.
Dance
One of today’s most pre-eminent and visionary choreographers, Ohad Naharin, artistic director of Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company, has pioneered some of the most inventive and intriguing styles of movement in contemporary dance, such as Gaga, his innovative movement language that has emerged as a growing force for both dancers and non-dancers.
Film
Film director, screenwriter, producer and editor Alfonso Cuarón is acclaimed for his masterly, highly original films. Successes such as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Children of Men were followed by the technically innovative thriller, Gravity (2013), which won Cuarón Oscars for Best Director — the first Mexican to earn this accolade –and Best Film Editing.
Literature
Mia Couto, one of Africa’s foremost writers, uses creative language to craft evocative poetry, short stories and novels. The Mozambique-born author’s first novel, Terra Sonâmbula (Sleepwalking Land), is widely considered among the 20th century’s best African books, helping him win the 2014 Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Couto was nominated for the Man Booker International Prize 2015 for his body of work.
Music
Influential American composer Philip Glass is known worldwide for his evocative music that is recognizable by its repetitive structures. The boundary-defying compositions include symphonies, concertos, film soundtracks and operas, the most famous of which is Einstein on the Beach, his collaboration with (former Rolex mentor) Robert Wilson. The Washington Post called it one of the seminal artworks of the 20th century.
Theatre
Demonstrating a virtuosity in every type of theatre craft, Canadian Robert Lepage is an equally talented theatre, opera and film director, playwright and actor, whose avant-garde work has captivated audiences worldwide. As head of the multidisciplinary production company, Ex Machina, he has also directed rock concerts and circuses, including the Cirque du Soleil.
Visual Arts
Described as a “titan of the American avant-garde”, the internationally acclaimed performance and video artist Joan Jonas has made an indelible mark on the visual arts over nearly 50 years. A retrospective of her work was recently showcased in Milan and her new multimedia installation drew huge crowds to the US Pavilion at the 2015 Venice Biennale.
The Rolex Mentor & Protégé Arts Initiative
Established in 2002, the Rolex Mentor & Protégé Arts Initiative contributes to global culture by helping ensure that the world’s artistic heritage is passed on to the next generation.
It brings some of today’s greatest artists in seven disciplines together with highly promising your talents for a year of creative collaboration in one-to-one mentoring relationship.
Follow the 2015 Mentor and Protégé series
Learn more about the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative
