Taking the Jindřich Chalupecký Award as its model, The Contemporary Art Center – Skopje in cooperation with the Foundation for a Civil Society in New York established in 2002/2003 an annual award for a young artist from the Republic of Macedonia under 35 years old.

The award was established in order to address the lack of such opportunities for artists in Macedonia and in order to show contemporary Macedonian art to the general public in the country, as well as overseas.

The aim was to strengthen discussions among institutions and young artists while including a number of various fine arts institutions and professionals in an annual and impartial process of reflection and decision making. This award also creates new opportunities for the participating artists, exposes young creativity to a wide circle of public and results in introduction of new models of operation in cultural and institutional life.