The Jane Lombard Prize for Art and Social Justice was created in 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Vera List Center. Every two years, the prize recognizes relevant artistic projects for their long-term impact, courage, and artistic quality.
This year, the prize was awarded to proppaNOW for Occurrent Affair. Conceived as a collaborative activist gesture, the project addresses current socio-political, economic, and environmental issues while celebrating the strength, resilience, and continuity of Aborigine culture. Co-founder of the artist group is Richard Bell, who took part in documenta fifteen with his works Tent Embassy and Pay the Rent.
The Jane Lombard Prize has already been awarded to a wide range of documenta artists: In its inaugural year, it went to Theaster Gates (documenta 13) for Dorchester Projects; in 2014, Abounaddara (documenta 14) was honored for Emergency Cinema. The films documented contemporary life in Syria. Brazilian artist Maria Thereza Alves (documenta 13) was honored in 2016 for her project Seeds of Change.