Third edition of the Ithra Art Prize is now open

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra).

The third edition of the regional prize, a joint initiative between the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture (Ithra) in Saudi Arabia and Art Dubai, is now open. The team are accepting applications from Saudi and Saudi-based contemporary artists for an installation proposal, including full budget and material needs.

The winning artist or collective will receive up to $100,000 (Dh367,310) to create a new piece of work that will be exhibited at Art Dubai 2020 and then housed permanently at Ithra in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Proposals should not be part of an existing series of work and should include a production timeline and installation plan. The deadline for submissions is October 3, 2019 and the winner will be chosen by a jury and announced at the end of the year,

Previous winners of the Ithra Art Prize are Ayman Zedani (2018) and Daniah Al Saleh (2019). Zedani won for his large-scale, concrete construction, Meem that took its cue from numerical geometry and an interest in science. This year, the jury (of which I was a member) chose Alsaleh, who produced a digital, audio-visual presentation called Sawtam. It took the form of a digital windchime and comprised 28 screens and sounds, each one based on the phonemes of the Arabic language.

For more information about the Ithra Art Prize and to apply, visit: www.artdubai.ae/ithra-art-prize-2020