Jordan-based Artists Have Less than Two Weeks Left to Apply for World’s Richest Art Prize
Unique opportunity presented to work with international curators for
USD $1 million Abraaj Capital Art Prize 2009
Artists in Jordan will have just under two weeks left to take part in the selection process for the world’s richest art award – the USD $1 million Abraaj Capital Art Prize. The application deadline for the prize, which will see artists from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region working with international curators on a stipend of $200,000 per winner, is closing on 15 June 2008.
“The Abraaj Capital Art Prize would enable one of Jordan’s emerging artists to collaborate with an international curator to create a more international platform for his or her work, building further regional and global awareness for the truly innovative art being produced in the Gulf at present,” said Savita Apte, Chair of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize committee and director of Art Dubai.
“While the application process needs to be formalized by a curator, the focus of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize is really to showcase the work of artists from the MENASA region, so we have the opportunity to match regional artists who want to apply for the prize with suitable curators,” said Apte.
The primary Abraaj Capital Art Prize mission is to increase global understanding and demand for artworks emanating from markets such as the Gulf, Levant, Egypt, and North Africa, as well as South Asia and the Maghreb region. In addition, the art prize also increases regional awareness about the role of curators, who in the contemporary art sector work with artists to refine their pieces around a theme or toward an exhibition.
The three winning artists of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize will use their $200,000 award to create art projects that will then be displayed initially during Art Dubai 2009, with further opportunities for international display and acquisition.
Abraaj Capital, the premier investment firm specializing in private equity investment in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region, pioneered the art prize in partnership with Art Dubai in order to foster and reward artistic development in its core markets.
