The Richard Mille Art Prize ceremony was recently held at the Louvre Abu Dhabi dome, where the enduring relationship between Richard Mille and the art world was demonstrated. The event brought together leading art collectors and connoisseurs from the region, featuring a mesmerizing performance by Benjamin Millepied and Caroline Osmont, inspired by the artistic nature of Abu Dhabi.
The event was attended by several distinguished personalities, including HE Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism, and Manuel Rabaté, Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi. The ceremony celebrated the achievements of the ten artists who participated in the Art Here 2022 exhibition, which centered around the theme of ‘Icon’.
The winner of the 2022 Richard Mille Art Prize was Earthly Wonders, Celestial Beings (2019 – ongoing) by Rand Abdul Jabbar. Jabbar, hailing from Baghdad, employs design, sculpture, and installation as primary mediums of operation to reconstruct the ephemera of place, history, and memory. Her works contest individual and collective memory to produce fragmentary reconstructions of historic events and past experiences.
Jabbar expressed her gratitude for being recognised amongst a group of peers for whom she has deep respect and admiration. She acknowledged the generous support of Louvre Abu Dhabi and Richard Mille and the esteemed jury for their trust.
The panel of judges who selected the winner consisted of five distinguished members, including HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of UAE Unlimited, an art collector and patron of Centre Pompidou, the British Museum and Sharjah Art Foundation, as well as Reem Fadda, Director of the Cultural Foundation and curator of Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2022.
Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here is an event that takes place annually, providing a platform for contemporary artists from the region to showcase their work in various media. The exhibition invites proposals through an open call, and the selected artists’ works are displayed at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which is dedicated to contemporary art.
The upcoming 2023 edition of the Richard Mille Art Prize and Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here exhibition will center around the theme of ‘Transparency’ and will be curated by Maya El Khalil.