Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), in partnership with Bulgari Group, is organizing an exhibition for the artists participating in the first edition of the Bulgari Contemporary Art Award from 3rd – 8th February 2022 at Van De Goudenberg Art Gallery in DIFC.
Aisha Al Ali, Alia Lootah, Chie Nakano, Farid Al Rais, Ioannis Kadras, Jassim Al Awadhi, Juma Alhaj, Kamal Alzubi, Madar Alsuwaidi, Magda Malkoun, Nima Nabavi, Niveen Meguid, Saeed Almadani, Shamsa Juma, Tala Worrell, and Valerie Vincent are among the participants.
The organisers of the Bulgari Contemporary Art Award have challenged the artists, who are all based in the UAE, to create works based on the theme Beauty Connects People.
Hala Badri, director general of Dubai Culture, said the award will assist promote the emirate’s creative business when it was first announced last year. “Supporting talent is one of the strategic cornerstones. We’re establishing a platform for new talent to be recognised with this cooperation,” she stated.
“Each sector, whether local or worldwide, is interdependent on the others. We are allowing productivity in other industries by supporting this sector.”
Candidates were chosen from Dubai Culture’s database of artists for the award, which has three categories in visual arts: drawing and painting, photography, and sculpture.
Three pieces will be chosen for the shortlist by a committee of three specialists, including cultural adviser Giuseppe Moscatello and artists Nujoom Alghanem and Patricia Millns. The winner will then be decided by an anonymous jury from Dubai Culture and Bulgari.
The prize provides a “new platform” for artists to “express themselves creatively,” according to Dr. Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, chief executive of Dubai Culture’s Arts and Literature Sector. “Demonstrated a profound comprehension of the award’s subject matter and delivered creative and highly emotive pieces,” he said of the names chosen.A group of Italian mentors will assist in bringing the artist’s winning proposal to life. For a week, the winner will be flown to Rome to witness Bulgari workshops and interact with the brand’s designers. He will also be taken on visits of historical and cultural sites associated with Bulgari.
At Expo 2020 Dubai, the winning piece will be displayed in the Italy Pavilion. The winner’s name has yet to be released, as well as the date on which it will be announced.