The first Bulgari Contemporary Art Award is now open in Dubai
The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) has partnered with the Bulgari Group to organize an art exhibition. The inaugural edition of the Bulgari Contemporary Art Award, which opened on February 3, will run until February 8, 2022 at the Van De Goudenberg Art Gallery in the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC).
Dubai Culture selected 17 national artists and UAE residents in December last year. These include: Abdulrahim Salem, Aisha AlAli, Alia Lootah, Chie Nakano, Farid Alrais, Ioannis Kadras, Jassim Alawadhi, Juma AlHaj, Kamal Alzubi, Madar Alsuwaidi, Magda Malkoun, Nima Nabavi, Niveen Meguid, Saeed Almadani, Shamsa Juma, Tala Worrell and Valerie Vincent.
The theme for the awards is “Beauty Connects People”.
“We are proud to present the work of the talented artists participating in this inaugural edition of the prize and to provide them with a new platform to express themselves creatively. Participating artists demonstrated a deep understanding of the subject of the award and presented innovative and highly expressive works. We look forward to announcing this year’s winner and invite contemporary art lovers from all walks of life to visit the exhibition and enjoy the aesthetic elements reflected in the participating works,” said Dr. Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, CEO from the arts and literature sector at Dubai Culture.
The inaugural edition of the Bulgari Contemporary Art Award was launched at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Image Credit: Supplied
The Bulgari Contemporary Art Award was launched in July 2021 with the Italian pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. There are three categories in the awards, which are visual arts, including drawing and painting; photography and sculpture.
“We are impressed by the wealth of inspiration from all the participating artists that has led to such an interesting dialogue between Rome and Dubai, fueled by the powerful energy of color. This prize represents an important commitment because supporting contemporary artists means investing in a future of ideas, talents and passion. To visit this exhibition is to dive into an exciting universe of unbridled creativity, an ode to research and experimentation that perfectly matches Bulgari’s DNA,” added Lucia Boscaini, Bulgari Brand Curator.
The list of jurors includes Giuseppe Moscatello, Nujoom Alghanem and Patricia Millns FRSA, who shortlisted three works for the first prize. These include paintings by Nima Nabavi and Juma Al Haj, as well as a sculpture by Kamal Alzubi. A winner will be chosen by experts from Dubai Culture and Bulgari, along with other selected jurors.