Artes Mundi, the UK’s leading international art prize, is calling for nominations for Artes Mundi 7. Following a critically acclaimed Artes Mundi 6, the Wales-based prize invites nominations from individuals working within the global arts community including curators, artists, writers, critics, gallerists and art historians.
ABOVE: Artes Mundi 6 Prize Winner, Theaster Gates (USA)
Nominations can be for artists of any age, from anywhere in the world, who are actively making work and are already well known in their own country or region. The artists will usually have some experience of exhibiting on the international art scene, whether they are just emerging or firmly established.
Artes Mundi was established in 2002 as an exhibition and prize which explored “the human condition”. Over time, this has developed more specifically to mean the work of artists who engage with the reality of the everyday from a range of personal and cultural perspectives. To be shortlisted for the Artes Mundi Prize artists must create work that directly engages with people’s everyday lives and experiences, exploring contemporary social issues from across the globe in a way that resonates both locally and internationally. Every nomination received will be reviewed by three independent selectors who will shortlist up to eight artists to take part in the biennial exhibition in 2016/2017.
Artes Mundi 7 will take place in venues across Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, from late 2016 to early 2017 and the winning artist will receive a prize of £40,000. The shortlisted artists will also be eligible for the £30,000 Derek Williams Trust Award that enables National Museum Wales to purchase or commission a work from one of them.
In January 2015 Chicago based artist, Theaster Gates won the Artes Mundi 6 Prize. Previous winners were Teresa Margolles (2012), Yael Bartana (2010), N S Harsha (2008), Eija-Liisa Ahtila (2006) and Xu Bing (2004).
The winner of the Derek Williams Trust Award this year was Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson. The award has previously been made to Tania Bruguera, Olga Chemysheva, Lida Abdul, Mircea Cantor, Mauricio Dias & Walter Riedweg and Bernie Searle.
Nominations for Artes Mundi 7 should be submitted via www.artesmundi.org and should include:
- A brief explanation of why the artist is felt to be a suitable candidate for the Artes Mundi Prize.
- Links to the websites (up to 4 sites) which contain information about the artist and examples of their work
- Contact details for both the artist and the nominator
- The artist’s nationality
All nominations must be received by 24:00 GMT on 15th May 2016.
About Artes Mundi
Artes Mundi is an international arts organisation based in Cardiff, UK. Established in 2002, Artes Mundi is committed to supporting ground breaking, international, contemporary, visual artists whose work engages with social reality and lived experience. Artes Mundi Exhibition and prize takes place biennially, running a sustained programme of outreach and learning projects alongside the public exhibition and prize giving.
Artes Mundi is publicly funded by the Arts Council of Wales and by Cardiff City Council. Other funders include The Colwinston Charitable Trust and The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
