Art Vontobel Contemporary Photography Prize 2026 – A New Gaze 5

Art Vontobel is pleased to announce that Jiajia Zhang has been awarded the fifth edition of the Art Vontobel Contemporary Photography Prize – A New Gaze. The prize includes CHF 20’000, a solo exhibition, and a catalogue. The new, site-specific work opens on June 5, 2026, in Zurich.

Prize:	Art Vontobel Contemporary Photography Prize – A New Gaze 5
Theme:	Switzerland 2084
Winner:	Jiajia Zhang (CH), b. 1981 Hefei, China, based in Zurich
Project title:	And in 2084, You are 62
Exhibition:	June 5 – August 31, 2026, Vontobel, Gotthardstrasse 43, 8002 Zurich
Press preview:	4 June 2026, 6pm
Prize includes:	CHF 20’000, solo exhibition and catalogue
Publication:	with texts by Andreas E. F. Utermann, President of Board of Director, Dr. Jakub Samochowiec, Senior Researcher and speaker at the GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute, Georgina Casparis, Head & Curator, Art Vontobel.
Design:	Teo Schifferli

Theme: “Switzerland 2084”

For each edition of A New Gaze, artists are invited to explore a specific theme. In this edition, the theme "Switzerland 2084" encouraged artists not to predict the future, but to ask questions about it. They were prompted to consider which social, technological, and environmental changes are already influencing Switzerland today, and to reflect on what these trends might mean for the country's future.

The Winning Project: And in 2084, You are 62

Jiajia Zhang translates this premise into a dynamic artistic approach, seamlessly blending photography, text, sculptural elements, and video to construct an open-ended inquiry. Across a sequence of photographic constellations, lenticular images, and spatial arrangements, personal imagery appears alongside vernacular and historical references, tracing how identities, roles, and values circulate between past, present, and future, offering fresh perspectives on the evolving fabric of Swiss society.

At the heart of the installation lies a mirrored video chamber, serving as the visual anchor of the exhibition. Within this immersive space, moving images unfold in tandem with a text by British philosopher and author Sadie Plant, interweaving intimate personal moments with fragments drawn from political, technological and pop-cultural contexts. The chamber’s reflected architecture causes images to echo and overlap, creating ever-shifting composite views that invite viewers to imagine their own projections of the future.

Rather than relying on sweeping narratives or official histories, Zhang’s installation suggests that everyday visual traces – such as gestures of care, technological artifacts, objects, and evolving and social roles – can illuminate the emotional and cultural foundations shaping the potential future of Switzerland. Through this nuanced approach, the work invites contemplation of how the ordinary aspects of daily life contribute to the larger tapestry of societal transformation.

Jury Statement

“For A New Gaze 5, we invited artists not simply to respond to the present, but to imagine and give form to possible futures for our country. Switzerland 2084 holds both exciting potential and deep uncertainty. Jiajia Zhang’s proposal distinguished itself through a quietly powerful shift in perspective. Working across multiple media, the artist proposes a map of today as an attentive gesture toward the future. By honoring Zhang, the jury recognizes both the strength of her artistic practice and the emotional clarity of her vision: a reminder of our collective participation, and that tomorrow’s memories are shaped by the actions of today.”

The jury for A New Gaze 5 includes Georgina Casparis, Head & Curator Art Vontobel, Zurich, Shirana Shahbazi, Artist, Prix Meret Oppenheim laureate, Zurich and Danaé Panchaud, Curator and Director, Centre de la photographie Genève.

Press images (selected works and artist portrait) are available here.

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Press Contacts - DACH Manuela Schlumpf, Pickles PR manuela@picklespr.com | +41 76 533 99 44

Press Contacts International Zeynep Seyhun, Pickles PR zeynep@picklespr.com | +39 349 003 43 59

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About the Artist
Zurich-based artist Jiajia Zhang (b. 1981, China) works across photography, video, and installation. Her practice often incorporates found internet imagery to investigate how the circulation of images reshapes intimacy, authorship, and the boundaries between the personal and the public. Zhang convinced the jury with her project And in 2084, You Are 62, a multimedia installation conceived as a visual letter to her own daughter, assembling present-day photographs, found media, and digital fragments into a visual inquiry into a possible Switzerland of 2084. She originally studied architecture at ETH, Zurich, and later photography at the International Center of Photography, New York and Art at ZhDK Zurich. Her work has been featured in exhibitions at Swiss Institute New York (Upcoming), Singapore Biennale; Milieu, Bern; Istituto Svizzero, Milan; Kunsthaus St.Gallen; Fluentum Berlin; FriArt, Fribourg; Kunsthaus Glarus; and Fondation d'entreprise Pernod Ricard, Paris, a.o.

About Art Vontobel
Established in the 1970s, Vontobel’s collecting began with the belief that art in the workplace sparks meaningful conversation. That enthusiasm continues today through the Art Vontobel Collection and the firm’s biennial art award, A New Gaze.

Art Vontobel focuses on photographic and image-based art, exploring how contemporary artists capture and convey the human experience in a rapidly changing world. International in scope and primarily dedicated to supporting young and emerging artists, this philanthropic approach is further strengthened through A New Gaze. Collectively, the Collection and award mirror the company itself: a globally active investment firm with a forward-looking approach.

Our commitment to art is one expression of our social responsibility. By focusing on a single medium, the Collection offers a perspective that is both dynamic and resolute, providing a unique platform for new insights and dialogue. Displayed in the entrance areas, customer zones, corridors, and dining rooms of our international offices, it creates an inspiring environment with long-term value for clients and employees alike.

Vontobel
We are an international investment management firm with Swiss roots, providing investment, advisory and solution capabilities to private and institutional clients. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, we are present across 28 locations world-wide. Vontobel Holding AG shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and majority owned by the founding family. The family’s close ties to the company guarantee entrepreneurial independence, and the resulting freedom creates an obligation to assume social responsibility. As of December 31, 2025, Vontobel held CHF 240.7 billion assets under management. With our investment-led approach that focuses exclusively on the buy-side of financial markets, we think and act purely from the client’s perspective – as an investor for investors.

This includes continually rethinking how to empower investors – something we have engaged in for over 100 years. Harnessing the power of technology allows us to deploy our investment expertise across multiple platforms and ecosystems, while aiming to offer an individualized and high-quality client experience. Our conviction that successful investing begins with the assumption of personal responsibility means we focus on empowering employees to unlock their potential, take ownership of their work, and bring opportunities to life. We continuously scrutinize our achievements as we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients.

 

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