Louvre Abu Dhabi and Richard Mille launch new exhibition and art prize
ABU DHABI: Louvre Abu Dhabi and Swiss watchmaking brand Richard Mille have jointly announced the launch of a new annual exhibition called Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here plus the creation of The Richard Mille Art Prize, with the aim of promoting the best of contemporary art. For its inaugural year, the exhibition and prize will shine a spotlight on Emirati and Uae-based artists as part of the UAE’S wider 50-year Jubilee celebrations. Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here will be a new international exhibition which will serve as an annual plaform to showcase contemporary artists working in a variety of media. Each year, the exhibition will see four to six artists selected through an open call for proposals, with each of them exhibiting their artwork in the Forum — a space of interaction and exchange within Louvre Abu Dhabi dedicated to contemporary art. Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2021 will take place Nov. — Mar. 2022.
Following their submissions, one of the chosen artists will be awarded The Richard Mille Art Prize, with the announcement of the winner to take place in a ceremony organised at Louvre Abu Dhabi. The annual cash reward of US$50,000 will be part of a ten-year commitment between the museum and Richard Mille. “The announcement of the creation of The Richard Mille Art Prize and the Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here exhibition is the latest reminder that Abu Dhabi is accelerating its support and promotion of local creative talent, while simultaneously cementing its position as an atractive and inspiring destination for global creatives,” said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.
“We already know that world-class artists live among us. This new prize and accompanying exhibition will serve to spotlight the best of current UAE artistic talent in a year where our nation is both celebrating 50 years of achievement and looking forward to the next 50.” The open call for proposals invites submissions from Emirati and Uae-based artists around the theme of ‘Memory, Time and Territory’. It has particular resonance in the context of the UAE’S Jubilee celebrations, as it allows artists to reflect on the country’s legacy as a territory where questions of past, present and future combine and overlap. Proposals may be submited until August 31. The shortlist of candidates will be selected by a jury of international art experts, to be announced at a later date. Peter Harrison, CEO of Richard Mille EMEA, said that “in a few short years, Louvre Abu Dhabi has become one of the most iconic art museums in the world. “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.
“The Richard Mille Art Prize will redefine the benchmarks of contemporary creativity, with a goal to offer exceptional artists the opportunity to create a new dimension of their potential.” “Our partnership with Richard Mille represents a mutual, long-term commitment to supporting contemporary artistic talent within the UAE and this region, while connecting Louvre Abu Dhabi to its territory,” said Manuel Rabaté, Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi. “We aim to provide these artists with a highly visible plaform from which to come together and showcase their work to both our community and the global audience.
“This initiative also represents a decisive step forward by Louvre Abu Dhabi into the arena of contemporary art, as we further expand on our mission to shine a light on the cultural connections which unite us all.” The announcement of the winner of the inaugural Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2021 and The Richard Mille Art Prize will run parallel to the UAE’S cultural season, which includes Dubai Expo 2020, Abu Dhabi Art, Dubai Design Week and Art Dubai.
The Richard Mille brand strives to augment and extend the time piece’s visual potential by placing it directly in the crosshairs of design, art, sculpture and architecture.
The company has close connections with the arts. The brand’s partnerships in support of contemporary art and artists include sponsorship of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris; collaborations with choreographer Benjamin Millepied, composer Thomas Roussel and street artist Kongo and acquisition of Éditions Cercle d’art, a publishing house created with the support of Pablo Picasso in the 1950s.
Speaking of the brand’s collaboration with Frieze Masters/frieze London, one of the world’s leading plaforms for modern and contemporary art, Mille compared fine watchmaking and art. “Our view,” he said, “is that we can find artistic inspiration in the past as well as in the present, even within utilitarian objects. For that reason, we work very hard to ensure our timepieces are multi-layered in their visual expressivity, associative imagery and use of materials. “Defining these aspects during the design process are not far removed from the world of miniaturist painting, where an entire world can open up within a very confined area of just a few square centimetres.”