Artists from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia can now apply to the Abraaj Group Art Prize, a commission of $100,000 that will be awarded this year to one artist to produce a completed work of art.
The winning artist will be selected from a short list of four, based on written proposals. The four artists will be showcased in an exhibition organised by the selected curator at Art Dubai 2015, which will take place from 18 to 21 March next year.
The Abraaj Group Art Prize, which rewards artists based on proposals, seeks to bolster cultural and artistic potential in the region. Funded by leading private equity investor the Abraaj Group, the Art Prize supports and showcases exceptional talent emerging in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. The annual award supports artists from the region by giving them the opportunity to work with international curators to actualise their artistic visions.
In previous years, a group of artists was selected based on written proposals for works of art, and awarded commissions which they use to produce the projects in time for an exhibition at the annual art fair, Art Dubai. This year, only one artist will receive the $100,000 commission.
Four Egyptian artists have previously been granted the Abraaj Group Art Prize; Bassem Magdy (2014), Iman Issa (2013), Wael Shawky (2012) and Hala El-Koussy (2011).
The Abraaj Group Art Prize is seeking mid-career artists that have already participated in exhibitions and received critical acclaim. Selected artists will have significant bodies of work from over the past few years and will have demonstrated development and progression.
"Their work must be original, initiating new ideas and concepts, and be seen as influential to emerging artists and their contemporaries," reads the press release.
Curators, based anywhere in the world, are also invited to apply for curating the Abraaj Group Art Prize 2015. Applicants are expected to have experience in international curating and a keen interest in the region's artistic practices.
Source: Ahram Online