Entries open for the Gulf Capital – Abu Dhabi Festival Visual Arts Award
In its fifth year, the annual competition invites young artists to submit work inspired by the festival’s headline exhibition
The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation and Gulf Capital are calling on Emirati artists and visual arts practitioners to enter the Gulf Capital – Abu Dhabi Festival Visual Arts Award 2018. Part of this year’s Abu Dhabi Festival, the award allows Emirati visual arts students and emerging artists to create their own artwork that is inspired by and responds to significant works from the festival’s headline exhibition From Barcelona to Abu Dhabi: Works from the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA) in Dialogue with the Emirates. Taking place at Manarat Al Saadiyat, the exhibition contains works by the major contemporary artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, with themes of “Figure”, “Environment” and “Form”. One entry, which demonstrates outstanding creativity, will be selected by a panel of judges to be exhibited at next year’s Abu Dhabi Festival and will win an award of Dh10,000.
Launched in 2013, the Gulf Capital – Abu Dhabi Festival Visual Arts Award was established to support the growth of the UAE visualarts scene, nurturing the creativity of Emirati students and emerging artists by fostering engagement with the Abu Dhabi Festival’s annual exhibitions. Recognising outstanding Emirati creativity in the visual arts, performing arts, literature, animation or film, the award’s criteria is based on artistic merit, evidence of original and creative thinking and personal application of technical skills.
Last year, the recipient of the award was Emirati artist Sakeena Al Rumaithi, whose jewellery designs drew inspiration from last year’s festival exhibition The Art of
Nature. Her work will be on display at Emirates Palace throughout this year’s festival.
Karim El Solh, Gulf Capital’s chief executive, said: “I would like to congratulate Sakeena Al Rumaithi for winning this award. Through our partnership with ADMAF and our support of the Abu Dhabi Festival, we continue to back the education and development of Emirati youths. Gulf Capital’s social responsibility programme has focused since its inception on providing multiple opportunities for Emiratis to deepen their knowledge across various disciplines, including arts and culture.”
Registration is open until March 27. For more information about the award and the festival, visit www.abudhabifestival.ae