Louvre Abu Dhabi has unveiled its second Art Here exhibition, showcasing 10 works by the artists shortlisted for the $60,000 Richard Mille Art Prize.
Under the theme of "Icon and Iconic", the Richard Mille Art Prize received 246 submissions from artists living in the GCC. They were tasked with exploring how the concept of the "icon" resonates within contemporary art practices and how it informs and influences new artistic perspectives. Their work is currently on show at the museum on Saadiyat Island; the winner will be announced next year.
The five-member jury consists of avid art collector and chairman of UAE Unlimited Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan; Reem Fadda, Director of Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Foundation and curator of this year's Art Here exhibition; Morad Montazami, art historian and research curator at Tate Modern London; Hala Warde, founder of HW Architecture; and Souraya Noujaim, director of scientific, curatorial and collections management at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
The shortlisted artists represent diverse backgrounds while their work spans a variety of mediums and themes. The list includes Afra Al Dhaheri from the UAE; Ayman Zedani from Saudi Arabia; Dana Awartani from Palestine; Elizabeth Dorazio from Brazil; Manal Al Dowayan from Saudi Arabia; Rand Abdul Jabbar from Iraq; Simrin Mehra Agarwal from India; Shaikha Al Mazrou from the UAE; Vikram Divecha, who was born in Beirut, raised in Mumbai and lives in Dubai; and Zeinab Alhashemi from the UAE.
The works on display present an eclectic exhibition, spanning topics such as the personal and political; the human and non-human; nature and the cosmos; Arab culture and contemporary practice; cultural and archaeological narratives; and notions of time — explored through sculpture, conceptual site-specific work and video recordings.
Art Here runs until February 19 at Louvre Abu Dhabi. More information is available at www.louvreabudhabi.ae
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