Abraaj Capital Art Prize applications closing April 30th

Final call for ACAP 2012, the fourth edition of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize. Applications must be submitted by April 30, 2011 online.  

Following the highly acclaimed unveiling of the 2011 Abraaj Capital Art Prize artworks at Art Dubai last month, ACAP encourages artists working from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region to apply for the next edition of the prize. 2011 was the first year five artists were awarded, working with one guest curator. Due to this development, the scope and breadth of the prize have naturally increased, and the critical reception of the prize was greater enhanced by the launch of a publication, Footnote to a Project, which documents the six months of artistic production. 

“Since its inception in 2008, the prize is now recognized as a leading artistic initiative dedicated to the Middle East, North Africa and South Asian cultural scenes”, said Frederic Sicre, Partner, Abraaj Capital. “For us at Abraaj Capital, it is within our stakeholder responsibilities to contribute forcefully to the emergence of the incredible talent flourishing here and of course to give artists the potential to realize their most ambitious projects alongside internationally recognized curators.” 

To apply for ACAP 2012 artists must visit the prize’s website and register as an applicant to receive a password. They then have the freedom to return and update their applications as many times as they wish with their unique login, completing sections on the application which include the following: their own contacts and their nominator, artist background and finally the proposal itself, with a provisional working title, detailed proposal (1000 word limit) including a timeline for production, tentative dimension and weight of the artwork and budget. Applications can be submitted in English, French or Arabic. There is no age restriction for artists to apply, nor is a strong exhibition history or gallery representation required. 

Curators are also welcome to apply for the annual guest curator position, given the unique opportunity of working alongside the five chosen artists in the run up to Art Dubai, and generating content for an accompanying publication. 

Savita Apte, Chair of the ACAP Selection Committee said; “Artists must feel it is their prize, that it is a tangible opportunity to realize a project which without such funding would not be possible. The budget artists propose should include all costs related to production, such as travel to a specific part of the region for research purposes, studio space etc. - it doesn’t all have to go into the physical creation of the artwork. The prize allows artists to develop in new directions, but they should not feel they must change their practice to work in new media, or an ambitious scale, it is important that the true voice of the artist, rooted in the MENASA region stays intact.” 

The Abraaj Capital Art Prize is globally unique in that it rewards artistic proposals rather than finished works of art. So far, winners of the first three editions have come from Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Tunisia and Turkey. Curators have hailed from Sri Lanka, Iran, the US, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK.