illy Present
Future Prize

The illy Present Future Prize 2025 has been awarded to Louis Morlae presented by the gallery Rose Easton, London.

Since 2001, illy Present Future Prize, supported by illycaffè given to the most innovative presentation in the curated section Present Future, dedicated to the discovery of new talent and emerging trends.

Jury: Katerina Gregos, Artistic Director, EMST, Athens; Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, President, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Torino; Martina Vovk, Director, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Metelkova, Ljubljana; Damien Zhang, Director, Aranya Art Center.

Their remarks: The jury has selected Louis Morlae, represented by Rose Easton gallery, as the recipient of the Present Future Prize. Morlae creates intelligent hybrid objects that blend the technological imaginary with speculative storytelling. His works explore technology’s cultural impact—how digital worlds, technofetishistic objects and fiction intertwine.  Morlæ’s installations often form immersive “invented realities,” in a unique sculptural language. By treating virtual tools as sculptural media, he transforms futuristic aesthetics into tangible form, bridging the virtual and physical with meticulous craft and conceptual depth, defining a new language for technologically mediated art.

The prize, always attentive to the discovery of new talents, offers the winning artist the opportunity to present a solo exhibition at the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo during the next edition of the fair. In 2024 the recognition was awarded to Angharad Williams, presented by the gallery Fanta – MLN (Milano), with the exhibition Portrait, currently on view at the Foundation.

Previous winners include: Shizuka Yokomizo (2001), Padraig Timoney (2002), Phil Collins (2003), Manuele Cerutti (2004), Michael Beutler (2005), Sergio Prego (2006), Patricia Esquivias (2007), Mateo Tannatt (2008), Luca Francesconi (2009), Melanie Gilligan (2010), Dina Danish (2011), Naufus Ramirez-Figueroa/Vanessa Safavi/Santo Tolone (2012), Caroline Achaintre and Fatma Bucak (2013), Rachel Rose (2014), Alina Chaiderov (2015), Cécile B. Evans (2016), Cally Spooner (2017), Pedro Neves Marques (2018), aaajiao (2019) e Radamés “Juni” Figueroa (2020), Diana Policarpo (2021), Peng Zuqiang (2022), Bekhbaatar Enkhtur (2023).