Johannes Vermeer Award 2019 goes to

Ivo van Hove

Foto © Jan Versweyveld

The Johannes Vermeer Award 2019, the Dutch state prize for the arts, is awarded to dramatist Ivo van Hove by Ingrid van Engelshoven, Minister of Education, Culture and Science. The jury, chaired by Els van der Plas, unanimously nominated him for the award. Van Hove receives the award for his contribution to the development of theatre in the Netherlands and abroad. The presentation ceremony will take place on Wednesday 25 September 2019 in the Ridderzaal in The Hague.

The Johannes Vermeer Award is the Dutch state prize for the arts. It consists of the sum of 100,000 euros, which the winner may use to fund a special project in his or her specific field. The Dutch government established the award in 2009, its aim being to honour and encourage exceptional artistic talent. The award is intended for artists working in the Netherlands and across all disciplines. Previous laureates are opera director Pierre Audi, filmmaker and writer Alex van Warmerdam, photographer Erwin Olaf, visual artist Marlene Dumas, architect Rem Koolhaas, graphic designer Irma Boom, composer and director Michel van der Aa, film director visual artist Steve McQueen, fashion designer Iris van Herpen, and violinist Janine Jansen.