STAR TURNS

An exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi unveils the stellar shortlist for this year's Richard Mille Art Prize

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Taking place beneath the striking dome at Louvre Abu Dhabi, ‘Art Here 2024’, curated by writer and lecturer Simon Njami, showcases the five artworks shortlisted for this year’s Richard Mille Art Prize. Now in its fourth year, the show offers a platform for emerging and established contemporary artists from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and North Africa, underscoring the museum’s dedication to cultural dialogue and innovation via a showcase of the area’s rich creative scene.

This year, artists were invited to explore the theme of ‘awakenings’ for their submissions, with each shortlisted artist’s site-specific installation offering a unique interpretation of this concept, their works creating a tangible experience that invites viewers to explore the intricate layers of awareness, openness and vision within the artistic narrative. Meanwhile, the museum’s silvery dome, designed by Jean Nouvel, creates a dynamic backdrop of shadows, reflections and permeating light, turning the space into a captivating artistic experience.

The five shortlisted works encompass Emirati artist Lamya Gargash’s Debutante Ball, which transforms desert sand into a 2m-high beachball sculpture, exploring Arab identity and addressing human stereotypes; Egyptian artist Moataz Nasr’s Brides of the Sky installation, which looks at themes of bravery and resilience, reflecting on the strength of women while connecting the physical and transcendent worlds; Emirati artist Sarah Al Mehairi’s Shared Motion, which presents the word ‘wind’ in Arabic, Farsi, Hindi and Urdu, reflecting on the linguistic landscape of the region surrounding the Arabian Sea; Franco-Tunisian artist Férielle Doulain-Zouari’s