Highlights
- 10 year-partnership
- Promoting contemporary art
- Creation of The Richard Mille Art Prize
Continuing its commitment to the progression of contemporary art, the Richard Mille brand is proud to be associated with Louvre Abu Dhabi for the next 10 years. Signaling the start of a vibrant, long-term partnership between Richard Mille and Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Middle East’s leading art museum and one of the world’s leading authorities in art, this collaboration reinforces the bond between visual and horological arts, championing visionary creativity and innovative perspectives on a global scale.
The Richard Mille Art Prize
Louvre Abu Dhabi and Richard Mille jointly announced in 2021 the launch of a new annual exhibition – called Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here – linked to the creation of The Richard Mille Art Prize. This prize serves as a platform for support and recognition of artists committed to pushing the boundaries of contemporary art within the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and beyond.
Each year, the exhibition will feature the shortlisted artists’ works selected from the submissions received through an open call. The exhibition will be held annually in the Forum, a space of interaction and exchange within Louvre Abu Dhabi dedicated to contemporary art.
The Richard Mille Art Prize in 2021, in alignment with the UAE’s 50th anniversary, explores the theme of ‘Memory, Time and Territory’. Open exclusively to United Arab Emirates based artists for this first year, the exhibition focuses on the talents and perspectives of the country’s citizens and residents on this milestone occasion. Taking place from 18 November 2021 until 27 March 2022, this first edition marks the arrival of an unmissable annual event for art connoisseurs. Juried by an international panel of renowned art collectors, curators, and critics, one contemporary artist will be selected to become the first-ever recipient of The Richard Mille Art Prize. The award ceremony will take place in January 2022.
‘Richard Mille’s watches have always sat at the intersection of watchmaking tradition, art, innovation and architecture,’ says Peter Harrison, CEO of Richard Mille Europe and Middle East. ‘The Richard Mille Art Prize celebrates the thriving art culture in the UAE, and in the region as a whole; establishing a platform dedicated to creativity, dialogue and diversity. The Richard Mille Art Prize will lay down the foundations for what is certain to be a very exciting chapter in the development of the region’s rich and nuanced art scene.’
Richard Mille and contemporary art
Richard Mille’s creations have been redefining the traditions of haute horology. Approaching each timepiece as a three-dimensional kinetic painting, Richard Mille integrates artistic inspiration into every detail, playing up the full possibilities of space, volume, and movement to create revolutionary watches that reconsider the potential of possibilities. An avid supporter of contemporary art, Richard Mille has pursued enriching partnerships around the world, including partnerships with the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, the Desert X exhibition in California and the international Frieze Masters art fair; as well as collaborations with prominent artists such as Benjamin Millepied, Thomas Roussel or Pharrell Williams.
The jury
The 2021 jury members are H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of UAE Unlimited, an art collector and patron of the Centre Pompidou, the British Museum, Sharjah Art Foundation; Christine Macel, the Chief Curator at the Musée national d’art moderne, Centre Pompidou and an art critic; Hala Wardé, founding architect of HW Architecture, long-term partner of Jean Nouvel and the lead of the Louvre Abu Dhabi project; and Dr. Souraya Noujaim, Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management Director.
Selected artists
The finalists for The Richard Mille Art Prize 2021, in collaboration with Louvre Abu Dhabi, are:
- Cristiana de Marchi (b. 1968, Nationality: Italian - Lebanese)
- Latifa Saeed (b. 1985, Nationality: Emirati)
- Mays Albaik, (b. 1991, Nationality: Palestinian)
- Mohammed Kazem (b. 1969, Nationality: Emirati)
- Nasser Alzayani (b. 1991, Nationality: Bahraini)
- Tarek Al-Ghoussein (b. 1962, Nationality: Palestinian - Kuwaiti)
- Taus Makhacheva (b. 1983, Nationality: Russian)
Louvre Abu Dhabi
Created by an exceptional agreement between the governments of Abu Dhabi and France, Louvre Abu Dhabi was designed by Jean Nouvel and opened on Saadiyat Island in November 2017. The museum is inspired by traditional Islamic architecture and its monumental dome creates a rain of light effect and a unique social space that brings people together.
Louvre Abu Dhabi celebrates the universal creativity of mankind and invites audiences to see humanity in a new light. Through its innovative curatorial approach, the museum focuses on building understanding across cultures: through stories of human creativity that transcend civilisations, geographies and times.
The museum’s growing collection is unparalleled in the region and spans thousands of years of human history, including prehistoric tools, artefacts, religious texts, iconic paintings and contemporary artworks. The permanent collection is supplemented by rotating loans from 13 French partner institutions, regional and international museums.
Louvre Abu Dhabi is a testing ground for new ideas in a globalised world and champions new generations of cultural leaders. Its international exhibitions, programming and Children’s Museum are inclusive platforms that connect communities and offer enjoyment for all.
