Who's Got Next-- Chanel "Next Prize" Is Launched

The house of Chanel is synonymous with glamour, beauty, and luxury for the upper echelon. In modern times the brand has become more accessible to those who appreciate the craftsmanship of quality tailored clothing and accessories coupled with a taste for the high life.

For the sake of this article and to have a deeper appreciation for why this award, "Chanel Next Prize", is so invaluable is to know the history of Gabrielle Chanel herself the person upon which the house was built. A woman of humble beginnings who faced insurmountable adversity to find her way to the top and to have a legacy that has outlived her and from the looks of it--will continue to live well beyond our present generation.

We have to see the correlation between the life of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel not only what the name means to us today--but we need to see how her humble beginnings are what should make us take note and see the importance of this award along with all the opportunity it presents for the next generation of artists of various mediums.

Just like it did for Coco Chanel, the arts has proved to be a lifesaving work that has brought joy to so many while providing a means of earning for so many others.

But unfortunately, it is also one of the most underfunded sectors in our society. It is often looked upon as a luxury, or as some would put it "not a real job". But for the artists themselves, it is their lifeline.

Chanel has always been an enthusiast, patron of the arts and all things beautiful. Her avant-garde spirit inspired the principles of design during a time when women wore the most uncomfortable pieces of clothing which Coco dreaded. Her clothes were unprecedented and offered its patrons freedom so to speak-- the fabrics were free moving jerseys to the purity of the little black dress which she launched in 1926, which would become her signature. Not to mention Chanel No.5 the perfume that was said to be the most expensive perfume of her time. Chanel had made her mark in fashion.

As much as we have endured in the past two years, we see the parallel of challenges in our days with that of Chanel. Challenges filled with uncertainties and desperation to create some sort of normality while wanting to see the beauty of a better world with a brighter future.

So it is with great excitement we share the wonderful news of the future role that Chanel will play in the world of the arts. And based on history, we know that Coco Chanel personally experienced the demise of society to not only one war but two world wars. And yet her artistry, her work, and her legacy gained new life and lives on today. Now with the mission of creating a global initiative to fund the arts. Imaging that--innovation, diversity, and arts sharing the same space. We are ecstatic to see what the Chanel Cultural Fund will produce for the future.

CHANEL NEXT PRIZE

"On Chanel announced the winners of the inaugural CHANEL Next Prize, a newly established international award to catalyze innovation across arts and culture. Developed to provide an emerging generation of creative risk-takers with resources to tackle ambitious new projects, the CHANEL Next Prize creates conditions for artists to experiment with visionary ideas, test new forms of art-making, and collaborate across disciplines. Each of the 10 winners will receive 100,000€ in funding as well as access to mentorship and networking opportunities facilitated by Chanel to deepen the impact of their trailblazing work. A truly global prize that celebrates the fluidity between different art forms, 2021 CHANEL Next Prize winners represent 11 countries and disciplines spanning design, film, and the performing and visual arts."

So as we begin a new year, with new hopes, and new dreams we will remain optimistic. We at Good Look want to create a Good World want to congratulate the winners.

Winners of the 2021 CHANEL Next Prize

• Jung Jae-il (born in Seoul; Seoul and Berlin-based), a composer, performer, music director, and producer paving a new genre that fuses traditional Korean music with the sounds of western instruments.

• Keiken (London and Berlin-based), a collaborative practice between artists Hana Omori, Isabel Ramos, and Tanya Cruz, whose work merges the physical with the digital by building online worlds and augmented realities for the viewer to experience.

Lual Mayen (South Sudan)

• Lual Mayen (born in Aswa, South Sudan; based in Washington, D.C.), a self-taught game designer who uses his own experience as a refugee from South Sudan to design immersive gaming and digital tools to generate educational experiences and social impact.

• Marlene Monteiro Freitas (born in Cape Verde; based in Lisbon), a dancer and choreographer known for her electrifying presence and powerful aesthetics influenced by the Carnival tradition of her native island.

• Rungano Nyoni (born in Lusaka, Zambia; Lisbon and London-based), a filmmaker whose highly original films inhabit spaces and characters rarely seen on screen, bringing them to life with humanity, nuance, and wit. 1 Tilda Swinton - British actor, Sir David Adjaye - Ghanaian-British architect, Cao Fei - Chinese multimedia artist

• Precious Okoyomon (born in London; based in New York City), an artist and poet whose multidisciplinary practice investigates the racialization of the natural world, Christianity, intimacy and ideas and experiences of life, death, and time.

• Marie Schleef (born in Goettingen; Berlin-based), a theatre director whose work is constructed on research, exploring and asserting the too often missing female gaze and challenging male-dominated theatre conventions.

• Botis Seva (born and based in London), a dancer, choreographer, and director deeply rooted in hip hop dance theatre who experiments with form, structure, and theatrics to reinvent choreography.

• Wang Bing (born in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province; based in China), a filmmaker whose works are finely observed portraits of those on the margins of contemporary Chinese society.

• Eduardo Williams (born in Buenos Aires; based in Paris and Buenos Aires), a filmmaker and artist who crosses freely between documentary and fiction to create works that are a sensorial exploration of the world mediated by the technology of the camera.