Saturday, May 23, 2026 10:14:40
ABU DHABI, UAE, May 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Louvre Abu Dhabi has extended the deadline for proposal submissions to the sixth edition of its flagship contemporary art initiative, Art Here 2026 and the Richard Mille Art Prize. This offers an opportunity for contemporary artists across the GCC and India to submit their proposal to feature in a major exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Continuing the museum’s exploration of shared human experiences and cultural connections, this year’s edition expands to India alongside the GCC, reflecting longstanding ties rooted in exchange, coexistence and shared human values.
Dr. Guilhem André, Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management Director at Louvre Abu Dhabi said “Art Here has always been conceived as a platform shaped by connections between artists, places, and shared histories. Expanding the 2026 edition to include India alongside the GCC felt like a natural evolution of that approach. The ties between the Gulf and India are long–standing and multidimensional, rooted in centuries of exchange, movement, and coexistence across the Indian Ocean world.”
Curated by distinguished museum leader Kamini Sawhney, artists from GCC (nationals and residents) and India (nationals) are invited to submit proposals around the theme Confluences, which explores how the contemporary world is shaped by overlapping histories, cultures and ecologies.
Reflecting on the theme, Art Here 2026 Guest Curator Kamini Sawhney said “Confluences is grounded in an understanding that relationships are complex, sophisticated and deeply interconnected, shaped over centuries by movement, adaptation and dialogue. Aesthetically, the theme invites artists to reflect these layered encounters and intersections in ambitious site-specfic works, while intellectually it recognises that these relationships are not abstract, but embedded in the rich exchange we see even today in trade, migration, language, culture and identity between the UAE, the wider GCC and India.”
An esteemed jury will evaluate submissions and select the shortlisted artworks to be commissioned for the Art Here 2026 exhibition, opening in November 2026.
The 2026 Richard Mille Art Prize will then recognise one of the selected artists with a grand prize of US $60,000. The prize aims to support and showcase contemporary artists, in line with the museum’s mission to connect cultures and spotlight regional talent. The Richard Mille Art Prize winner will be announced in December 2026.
Artists are encouraged to apply now to be part of this dynamic, cross-cultural dialogue shaping the future of contemporary art.
For more information and to submit applications, visit Louvre Abu Dhabi’s website.
