Louvre Abu Dhabi and Richard Mille announce jury members for $50,000 art prize

Louvre Abu Dhabi and Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille have revealed the jury for the inaugural edition of their contemporary art exhibition Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2021 as well as The Richard Mille Art Prize.

The four members on the jury for 2021 include Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, chairman of UAE Unlimited, an art collector and patron of the Centre Pompidou, the British Museum, Sharjah Art Foundation, and an honorary patron of Art Dubai; Christine Macel, the chief curator at the Musée national d’art moderne, Centre Pompidou and an art critic; Hala Wardé, founding architect of HW Architecture, long-term partner of Jean Nouvel and the lead of the Louvre Abu Dhabi project; and Dr. Souraya Noujaim, Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management Director.

The jury will first select a shortlist of artists to participate in the upcoming exhibition Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2021, on view from November 16, 2021 until March 27, 2022.

From among these shortlisted artists, the jury will then select the recipient of the first edition of The Richard Mille Art Prize who will be awarded a $50,000 cash prize.

“Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2021 breathes new life into the role of the museum by not merely celebrating the past, but rooting and contextualising contemporary art in its present setting through interactions and links with contemporary artists,” said Dr. Noujaim. “We are happy to launch this new chapter in collaboration with Richard Mille, marking Louvre Abu Dhabi’s continued extension into contemporary art and highlighting our ever-present dedication to local artistic talent. For this first edition, we are privileged to have the support and expertise of our esteemed jury members, who have demonstrated their commitment to Louvre Abu Dhabi and their strong interest in the local contemporary art scene.”

For this inaugural year, UAE-based artists are invited to submit proposals around the theme of ‘Memory, Time and Territory’. The last date to submit the proposals is September 11, 2021 via the museum’s website.

“Richard Mille and Louvre Abu Dhabi are both built upon the tenets of excellence in innovation, artistry, mastery and savoir-faire. As an avid art collector, I have long been inspired by the visionary perspectives brought to light by contemporary artists. Therefore, I’m especially proud to see this collaboration between Louvre Abu Dhabi and Richard Mille come to life, dedicated to nurturing the next generation of artistic talent,” said Peter Harrison, CEO of Richard Mille EMEA.