Artist Theaster Gates, choreographer and media personality Jin Xing,
actor Deepika Padukone and artist Lynette Wallworth are the recipients of the
26th Annual Crystal Award, the World Economic Forum announced today. The award
celebrates the achievements of artists and cultural figures whose leadership
inspires inclusive and sustainable change. The winners will be honoured in the
opening session of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2020 in Davos-Klosters,
Switzerland, on Monday 20 January.
“These wonderful cultural leaders are bridge-builders. They connect us to each
other, they help us reflect on the human condition and they provide visions of
the world that can cut through the limitations of short-term or linear
thinking,” said Hilde Schwab, Chairwoman and Co-Founder of the World Arts
Forum, which hosts the awards.
Award recipients
Theaster Gates, for his leadership in creating sustainable communities
Theaster Gates is an artist who lives and works in Chicago. Drawing on his
interest and training in urban planning and preservation, Gates creates works
that focus on space theory, land development, sculpture and performance. In
2010, Gates established the Rebuild Foundation to galvanize communities through
neighbourhood regeneration and the development of educational and arts
programming. Many of the foundation’s initiatives are centred on the
revitalization of Chicago’s South Side, creating hubs and archives for black
culture that serve as catalysts for discussions on race, equality, space and
history. Gates is a professor at the University of Chicago in the Department of
Visual Arts and the Harris School of Public Policy, and is Distinguished
Visiting Artist and Director of Artist Initiatives at the Lunder Institute for
American Art at Colby College. His work has been exhibited internationally.
“Special thanks to the World Economic Forum for this most prized Crystal Award. I am always reminded that the impact of the arts and artists is incomparable when we think about the transformation of cities and towns. I am honoured to work as a believer in beauty and creativity and hope the work and the ideals that I lead within Chicago have resonance throughout the world,” said Gates.
Jin Xing, for her leadership in shaping inclusive cultural norms
Jin Xing is a choreographer, media personality and China’s most popular TV
host. She is a former male ballet dancer and army colonel, who was the first
person, publicly, to undergo gender reassignment surgery in her country. She is
the founder of the award-winning Jin Xing Dance Theatre, the country’s first
independent dance company. Her television shows, which include Venus Hits Mars,
The Jin Xing Show and Chinese Dating, draw more than 100 million viewers a week
and create a space for discussion on contemporary life in China. She is a
Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France and received an honorary
Doctorate of Dance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
“In today’s complex and fractured world, I pursue my mission to be true to the society, to be a true voice for the public, as an artist, a public figure and as a human being. I’m grateful and honoured to receive this year’s Crystal Award. This honour encourages me to continue my mission and be crystal clear towards life,” said Jin.
Deepika Padukone, for her leadership in raising mental health awareness
Deepika Padukone is an internationally acclaimed actor, fashion icon and mental
health ambassador from India. She has acted in close to 30 feature films across
genres and won several awards for her performances. Many of her films also rank
among the highest grossing films of all time. Padukone was diagnosed with
clinical depression in 2014 and sought professional help to aid her recovery.
In June 2015, she founded The Live Love Laugh Foundation (TLLLF) to give hope
to every person experiencing stress, anxiety and depression (SAD). The foundation’s
programmes and initiatives include nationwide public awareness and
destigmatization campaigns, adolescent mental health programmes, funding
support for treatment in rural communities, training general physicians in
common mental health disorders, research and an annual lecture series featuring
the world’s foremost thinkers and achievers.
“With more than 300 million people suffering with the illness, depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability in the world today and a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. It is therefore increasingly clear that, now more than ever before, we need to aggressively address what is an invisible and overlooked health and social burden. I am humbled and deeply honoured to be chosen for this year’s Crystal Award and dedicate the award to the millions around the world who experience stress, anxiety and depression, and other forms of mental illness,” Padukone said.
Lynette Wallworth, for her leadership in creating inclusive narratives
Lynette Wallworth is an Australian artist whose immersive video installations,
virtual reality and film works reflect the connections between people and the
natural world, as well as exploring the nature of resilience. She won an Emmy
Award for her virtual reality film Collisions, which the World Economic Forum
commissioned, premiered and executive-produced. Wallworth was named one of the
“100 Leading Global Thinkers” by Foreign Policy magazine for immersing
audiences in the destructive power of nuclear weapons. Her 2018 mixed-reality
film Awavena, the story of the first woman Shaman from the Yawanawa tribe in
Brazil, as well as her most recent works, have been made at the invitation of
indigenous communities. She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future
Council on Virtual and Augmented Reality and a member of the Board of Trustees
of the Sundance Institute.
“I have sought to use my skills as an artist to bring unheard voices, including indigenous voices, into the rooms they have been excluded from. These voices ring out with resilience, persistence, power and grace. In supporting my work, the creation and the presentation of it, the World Economic Forum has helped me place it in front of those I most wished to impact, those whose decisions help shape our shared future. I am immensely grateful that these works, these voices, have been heard and are being honoured by a Crystal Award,” said Lynette Wallworth