Five artists, including two Emiratis, shortlisted for $60,000 Richard Mille Art Prize

Five artists have been shortlisted for the annual Richard Mille Art Prize, organised by the Swiss watchmaker and Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Now in its fourth year, the shortlisted artists' work will be showcased later this year at the Art Here 2024 exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi, with the winner of the $60,000 prize announced in the following months.

A total of 230 submissions were received this year, which marks the first time the prize has been opened up to artists from North Africa. Until now, only artists based in the GCC were eligible.

The shortlisted artists are Sarah Almehairi and Lamya Gargash, both from the UAE; Ferielle Doulain-Zouari, a Franco-Tunisian artist; Moataz Nasr from Egypt; and Nicene Kossentini from Tunisia.

Artists submitted work under this year’s theme of Awakenings, a concept which explores openness, beginnings, choices and decisions. The shortlisted artists are expected to produce a diverse range of work within the mediums of sculptures and audiovisual installations exploring the theme.

“Awakenings, is a powerful theme that challenges artists to delve into moments of change, revelation, and transformation,” said Simon Njami curator of Art Here 2024 and one of the judges for the prize.

“I look forward to discovering how artists from the GCC and North Africa interpret this concept and express their unique perspectives through their art.”

Dubai based multidisciplinary artist Nabla Yahya, one of the seven shortlisted artists from 2023, was awarded the prize in January for her work, SoftBank.

Her installation explored the neglected details and nuanced history around the initial construction of the Suez Canal through three-dimensional cartographic representation.

The jury panel for this year's prize has also been announced and includes three new creatives from diverse backgrounds.

Besides Njami, who is a lecturer, art critic and novelist, new jury members include renowned Emirati poet, artist and film director Nujoom Alghanem, and Maya Allison, founding director of the NYUAD Art Gallery and chief curator at NYU Abu Dhabi.

Returning to the jury are Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also the founder and chairman of the satellite art platform UAE Unlimited. He is joined by Guilhem Andre, art historian and scientific curatorial and collection management director at Louvre Abu Dhabi.

“This collaboration enables the museum to continuously innovate and present new, creative themes, such as Awakenings, inviting artists to engage in and translate the concept of openness into visual forms,” said Manuel Rabate, the director of Louvre Abu Dhabi.

“Notably, for the first time, our open call extended to North Africa, underscoring our dedication to expanding to new geographies, and we are happy to produce and display the artworks of five shortlisted artists.”

Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2024 exhibition showcasing the shortlisted artists works will run from September 20 to December 15 2024