Katja Sokolova

Why Lithuanians don't dance

and the Austrians don't like prizes

Awards are never fair. And they are never fun. Except maybe for those who take part and win. And even that not always. However, 5 internationally famous artists on show and 50.000 euros in prize can definitely make Kompromat get off the couch and head to the Stedelijk Museum CS Amsterdam.

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The official opening of the Vincent award exhibition is about to start. - Stedelijk Museum's guards are keeping an eye on Kompromat. Do we look so suspicious?- KS Andrei Tchernikov

Met: Katja Sokolova
With:
Gijs van Tuyl, Deimantas Narkevicius, Rebecca Warren, Peter Friedl, Liam Gillick, Wilhelm Sasnal, Pawel Althamer, Neo Rauch, Francis Alys, Vincent van Gogh, Eija-Liisa Ahtila
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Secret agent Sokolova smoking nervously at the entrance to the SM. - Which artist is going to win the Vincent Award 2008?

Met: Katja Sokolova, Stedelijk Museum, Vincent van Gogh, Francis Alys, Rebecca Warren, Deimantas Narkevicius, Peter Friedl, Liam Gillick
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Young Lithuanian curator and De Appel graduate Virga Januskeviciute trying to focus on her network. - Today's opening is important for Virga. Since DEIMANTAS NARKEVICIUS is nominated for the award, a lot of high officials from her country are going to attend. After she's finished with De Appel, Virga is going back to work at CAC in Vilnius.

Met: De Appel
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Mayor of Amsterdam Job Cohen (l) is a shy person. - While artist Liam Gillick (r) is not.-KS Andrei Tchernikov

Met: Job Cohen, Liam Gillick, Stedelijk Museum
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LA Raeven sisters look a bit upset today. - Or maybe the girls are just hungry? Andrei Tchernikov

Met: L.A. Raeven, Stedelijk Museum
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Curator Annie Fletcher looks happy and relaxed. - Her work on Becoming Dutch exhibition must be finished by now.

Met: Annie Fletcher, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum
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This is the most flamboyant girl at this party. - She reminds us of Courtney Love. Fake is real. She's beyond fake. Fake is so real. She's beyond fake.

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Someone REALLY famous: pianist Hans Liberg. - International superstar, winner of the Emmy award and a Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion. Looking for his friends from the royal family... Andrei Tchernikov

Met:
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Another Dutch superstar - photographer Rineke Dijkstra. - Rineke looks amazing. Curator Hripsime Visser looks at her with admiration.

Met: Rineke Dijkstra,
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Some more money talk- between Nelly Voorhuis and Maaike Lauwaert. - Maaike is a new face at Mondriaan Foundation. Everyone has a lot of faith in her.

Met: maaike lauwaert, Voorhuis, Nelly
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DEIMANTAS NARKEVIČIUS - one of the Vincent Award 2008 nominees. -

Met: Stedelijk Museum
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Curator Maaike Gouwenberg has something to share with Kompromat. - When she was in Vilnius 3 years ago, she asked Deimantas for a dance at some opening party. He refused... How could he... What's wrong with Lithuanian guys?

Met: Katja Sokolova, Maaike Gouwenberg, Deimantas Narkevicius
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To succeed in the art world, you need to be a tough girl. - Like Annet Gelink- one of Amsterdam's most succesful galerists.

Met: Annet Gelink Gallery
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Leather bags also help young female art professionals on their way up. - Stedelijk Museum's Martin van Nieuwenhuizen, however, got tired of their company and decided to take some pics of the show instead.

Met: Annie Fletcher, Stedelijk Museum
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A men's talk definitely going on here. - What are they discussing? The Dutch football team's progress at the European Championship? Or the latest shocking news about the Vincent Award? Andrei Tchernikov

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At 3:30 p.m. on the day of the opening, artist Peter Friedl withdrew his candidacy from the Vincent Award. - He states that the nomination procedure for the award was not democratic enough.

Met: Peter Friedl, Stedelijk Museum, Vincent van Gogh
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Stedelijk Museum's director Gijs van Tuyl has had enough to worry about lately. - Post CS building's dilapidated condition, Malevich-Amsterdam case, the future homelessness of the museum... And this Austrian artist now... Andrei Tchernikov

Met: Stedelijk Museum, Gijs van Tuyl
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SM's press officer definitely needs a drink after the shocking news. -

Met: Stedelijk Museum, Peter Friedl
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The museum security guards don't seem to take Peter Friedl's decision to heart too much. - There are other cool works in the show. For example, these machine guns by Francis Alys. Andrei Tchernikov

Met: Peter Friedl