In the presence of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and Member of Dubai Council, in partnership with Bulgari Group, the leading Italian brand in the world of jewelry and luxury, announced the winner of the first Bulgari Contemporary Art Award at a ceremony held at the Italy Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai.
On 8 February, a panel of three experts, including Giuseppe Moscatello, Nujoom Alghanem and Patricia Millns FRSA, visited the exhibition that was held to celebrate the competing works participating in the award from 3 to 8 February at the Van de Goudenberg Art Gallery in the Dubai International Financial Centre. Among the 15 artworks, the committee chose three works to compete in the final list: Emirati artist Juma AlHaj, Dubai-based Jordanian artist Kamal Alzubi, and Dubai-based Iranian-American artist Nima Nabavi.
The jury which comprised eight distinguished individuals in the realms of culture, arts and design, selected the winning artwork. After the ceremony’s opening speeches, a video of the nominated works was shown, followed by a concert by Italian artist Linda Piovano and Emirati artist and cellist Elham Al Marzooqi. The name of the award winner, Nima Nabavi, was then announced
The Award ceremony saw several notable names in attendance, including Her Excellency Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture; His Excellency Giuseppe Finocchiaro, Consul-General, Italian Consulate (Dubai); Paolo Glisenti, Italy’s Commissioner General for Expo 2020 Dubai; Dr. Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture; Jean Christophe Babin, Group CEO of Bulgari; and Lucia Boscaini, Brand Curator at Bulgari.
“It has been such a privilege for Bulgari to inspire these talented artists, each of whom expressed their unbridled creativity in a distinctive way. Art is indeed the most universal language, connecting people through beauty and passionate ideas. Bulgari found the perfect partner in Dubai Culture to nurture the vision of cultural dialogue among people and generations,” said Jean Christophe Babin, CEO of the Bulgari Group.
The trophy celebrates the cultural bond between Rome and Dubai. The winning piece uses the iconic Bulgari’s doorways and storefronts and melds them with architectural characteristics inspired by historical sites in Dubai such as Al Fahidi and Al Shindagha.
“I am thrilled to have won the Bulgari Contemporary Art Award. It means so much to me to win this award in the city I grew up in and to be a part of Expo and Dubai’s cultural conversation. I have benefited from Dubai’s past, and I am excited to be contributing to its future as well. My artwork mirrored the theme of ‘Beauty Connects People,’ and I wanted to show a mixture of colours and connections through intersecting lines as well as to create a lot of complexity and depth that would draw people here and grant them a feeling of peace, harmony and completion through connection,” Nima said.
The winning artwork is currently on display at the Italy Pavilion in Expo 2020, Dubai.
