The Facts
On October 1, 2026, the Centre Pompidou announced the nominees for the 26th edition of the Prix Marcel Duchamp, France's most prestigious contemporary art prize. Among the four finalists is Laura Henno, a photographer and filmmaker whose practice examines marginal territories and forms of resistance. For the prize, Henno presents a 46-minute, three-screen immersive video installation shot at Slab City, a squatter camp in the California desert on the site of a former military base. The work follows several inhabitants and explores isolation, community, and the effects of U.S. military presence. The winner will be revealed, during Paris Art Week. The traditional exhibition of finalists, previously held at the Centre Pompidou, now takes place at the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris.
The Signal
The Prix Marcel Duchamp, created by the Adiaf in 2000, has launched the careers of artists such as Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Clément Cogitore, and Tatiana Trouvé. Henno's nomination signals the prize's continued focus on artists who blend documentary and sensory approaches to address geopolitical themes. Her long-term engagement with Slab City—she lived there for months between 2017 and 2024—underscores a trend toward immersive, research-driven practice that challenges stereotypes about marginalized communities. For collectors and curators, the prize remains a key bellwether for mid-career French and France-based artists, with the winner gaining significant institutional and market visibility.
- Artists: Laura Henno
- People: Laura Henno
- Museums: Centre Pompidou, Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris
- Locations: Paris, Slab City
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