The artist Jiajia Zhang (b. 1981, Hefei, China) was selected by our expert jury as the winner of the fifth edition of the Art Vontobel sponsorship prize A New Gaze. Over 45 young and emerging artists from across Switzerland, or of Swiss nationality, were invited to submit projects responding to this edition’s theme, “Switzerland 2084.” From the many candidates nominated by local experts, Zhang impressed the jury with her expansive approach to photography and her vision that is simultaneously personal and collectively oriented, offering a compelling interpretation of a speculative future.
Her winning project, And in 2084, You Are 62, will be presented in a solo exhibition with an accompanying catalogue in Zurich, open to the public from June 5, 2026.
The future as our central theme
A New Gaze is awarded every two years, with each edition focusing on a different geographical region and a timely, relevant topic. Current global challenges and constant innovation—such as shifting geopolitical alliances, environmental crises, and rapid technological advances—bring both uncertainty and exciting potential for the future. These forces inspired the theme of “Switzerland 2084” for A New Gaze 5. Emerging Swiss as well as locally based international artists were invited to imagine how Switzerland might adapt, innovate, and evolve in the years to come, and to explore how their own possible futures might be shaped by today’s choices and dynamics. The brief encouraged reflections on Switzerland’s political structures, cultural traditions, communities, and natural landscapes, questioning how elements such as neutrality, multilingualism, federalism, and the Alpine environment might transform in a rapidly changing world. Interpretations that questioned, challenged, and celebrated the nation’s evolving identity were welcomed, including alternative visions of what Switzerland in 2084 might hold.
