Nicène Kossentini has been announced as the winner of the Richard Mille Art Prize 2024.
The Richard Mille Art Prize and its subsequent exhibition, Art Here 2024 are highly anticipated events in the region’s art scene. The shortlisted artists this year included Férielle Doulain-Zouari, Lamya Gargash, Moataz Nasr, Sarah Almehairi and Nicène Kossentini. The artists are currently showcase their work at the Art Here 2024 exhibition, taking place at the Louvre Abu Dhabi and is curated by Simon Njami.
The theme for the 2024 edition was Awakenings, which invited the artists to explore the idea of openness, change and beginnings , as they presented newly commissioned artworks under the dome in the outdoor area of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
The jury this year was made up of H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Guilhem André, curator Simon Njami, Nujoom Alghanem and Maya Allison. This year’s Richard Mille Art Prize included for the first time artists from North Africa as well as the GCC region, which continues the prize’s mission to provide opportunities for regional and local artists.
Kossentini is the first Tunisian artist, and first North African artist, to win the Richard Mille Art Prize. With a practice rooted in the exploration of cultural heritage and hidden histories, Kossentini navigates through photography, video work, as well as sculpture. The winning project, Landscapes, is a meditative journey into the borderlands in the South of Tunisia. Across five video screens, Kosssentini investigates the process of loss and disappearance in these areas, opening up a broader reflection on the human condition. Kossentini has previously exhibited at international art fairs and institutions including Art Dubai, Marrakech Art Fair and the Institut du Monde Arabe.
Art Here 2024 runs until 15 December 2024
