ABU DHABI.- Louvre Abu Dhabi and Swiss watchmaking brand Richard Mille have revealed the jury for the inaugural edition of their contemporary art exhibition Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2021 and The Richard Mille Art Prize. Composed of four members, the jury has been drawn from diverse artistic spheres including curatorial, architectural and institutional. The distinguished panel will first select a shortlist of artists to participate in the upcoming exhibition, from the ongoing open call for proposals, and following the exhibition launch will award a $50,000 cash prize to the 2021 recipient of The Richard Mille Art Prize.

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, and an honorary patron of Art Dubai; 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.

“Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2021 breathes new life into the role of the museum by not merely celebrating the past, but rooting and contextualising contemporary art in its present setting through interactions and links with contemporary artists,” said Dr. Noujaim. “We are happy to launch this new chapter in collaboration with Richard Mille, marking Louvre Abu Dhabi’s continued extension into contemporary art and highlighting our ever-present dedication to local artistic talent. For this first edition, we are privileged to have the support and expertise of our esteemed jury members, who have demonstrated their commitment to Louvre Abu Dhabi and their strong interest in the local contemporary art scene.”

The artists shortlisted by the jury will showcase their work in the Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2021 exhibition, on view from 16 November 2021 to 27 March 2022 in the museum’s Forum, a space of interaction and exchange dedicated to contemporary art. From among these shortlisted artists, the jury will select the recipient of the first edition of The Richard Mille Art Prize.

For this inaugural year, UAE-based artists are invited to submit proposals around the theme of ‘Memory, Time and Territory’, with the exhibition and prize shining a spotlight on local talent as part of the UAE’s wider 50th National Day celebrations. Proposals from the open call may be submitted until 11 September 2021 via the Louvre Abu Dhabi website.