The Japan Art Association proudly announces the recipients of the 17th PRAEMIUM IMPERIALE as follows:

Robert Ryman Painting

Miyake Issey Sculpture

Taniguchi Yoshio Architecture

Martha Argerich Music

Merce Cunningham Theatre/film


The artists are recognized and awarded for their achievements, for the impact they have had internationally on the arts, and for their role in enriching the global community. The five recipients each receive 15 million yen, and a diploma and medal presented by honorary patron of the Japan Art Association Prince Hitachi in an awards ceremony in Tokyo. The awards ceremony will be held on October 18th, 2005.

The Praemium Imperiale is an annual award given by the Japan Art Association for global achievement in the arts. Since its beginning in 1989, the award has become a mark of the highest international distinction. The 2005 laureates join a roster of 82 artists, including Ingmar Bergman, Leonard Bernstein, Peter Brook, Anthony Caro, Christo and Jean-Claude, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Norman Foster, Frank Gehry, Jean-Luc Godard, David Hockney, Willem de Kooning, Kurosawa Akira, Renzo Piano, Robert Rauschenberg, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Ravi Shankar.

ANNOUNCEMENT IN TOKYO
The main announcement took place at the Tokyo National Museum on October 17th. Yasuhiro Nakasone hosted the event on behalf of the Japan Art Association. Mr. Nakasone serves along with Raymond Barre, Lamberto Dini, William Luers, and Richard von Weizsäcker on an advisory panel to the Japan Art Association. The advisors attended the announcement. Sir Edward Heath served as international advisor to the Praemium Imperiale from the inauguration of the prizes until his passing in July 2005.

GRANT FOR YOUNG ARTISTS
The Grant for Young Artists was awarded to Kusatsu International Summer Music Academy of Gunma, Japan.
The award was announced on October 17th at a press conference at the Tokyo National Museum. The Academy will receive 5 million yen to assist their efforts to help young musicians.



The 2005 Praemium Imperiale recipients are:

Painting：Robert Ryman
Robert Ryman was born 1930 in Tennessee. He started painting after working as a guard at the Museum of Modern Art, New York in 1953. he says his primary concern in painting is not what to paint but how to paint, and that the result is the use of white paint, because of its neutrality as a color.

Sculpture：Miyake Issey
Miyake is noted for innovative exploration into the relationship between cloth and the human body, and his deep interest in technology of modern textile manufacture that resulted in experiments and breakthroughs such as A-POC.

Architecture：Taniguchi Yoshio
Taniguchi is best known for award winning museum designs in Japan and his recent work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York that is considered supremely successful in showing his architectural philosophy of combining art, architecture and the city.

Music：Martha Argerich
Martha Argerich was born in Buenos Aires. Her first performance was at the age of 8. In 1965 she won the Chopin Competition and rose to fame with the interpretations of the 19th and 20th century piano literature. She later turned to chamber music, and is also known for her efforts in helping young artists such as at the festival she organized in Beppu, Japan.

Theatre/film：Merce Cunningham
Merce Cunningham was born in Washington Sate. Together with composer John Cage, he developed a new method of theater creation. His unconventional choreography opened a new stage in theater dancing.