Artes Mundi facts for kids

Artes Mundi (Latin: arts of the world) is an international biennial contemporary art exhibition and prize, held in Wales and organised by a non-profit arts charity of the same name.

Background

Since 2003 the Artes Mundi art prize has been held every two years at the National Museum Cardiff. The prize is the biggest art prize in the United Kingdom with £40,000 for each year's winner. Though the prize has included artists who use traditional media, like paint, this is usually only part of their practice, with the focus being very much on conceptual approaches. Though the exhibition takes place in Cardiff, the focus is on international artists.

In 2014/15 Artes Mundi 6 expanded beyond the National Museum and shared the exhibition of shortlisted works with Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, and Turner House Gallery, Penarth.

Personnel

Artes Mundi was founded in 2002 by Welsh artist William Wilkins. Its founding Artistic Director and CEO was Tessa Jackson, formerly the Director of the Scottish Arts Council. In 2010, Ben Borthwick was appointed Artistic Director and CEO, after Jackson left to take the helm at InIVA. Borthwick's previous role was as Assistant Curator at Tate Modern. In 2013 the director became Karen MacKinnon, formerly of the Glynn Vivian Gallery, Swansea and Chapter, Cardiff. In 2019, Nigel Prince was announced the new Director, leaving his post as Executive Director at Contemporary Art Gallery Vancouver

Prize winners

2004 (Artes Mundi 1), Xu Bing (China)
2006 (Artes Mundi 2), Eija-Liisa Ahtila (Finland)
2008 (Artes Mundi 3), N. S. Harsha (India)
2010 (Artes Mundi 4), Yael Bartana (Israel)
2012 (Artes Mundi 5), Teresa Margolles (Mexico).
2015 (Artes Mundi 6), Theaster Gates (USA), who declared he would share his £40,000 prize with the other nominees.
2017 (Artes Mundi 7), John Akomfrah (UK)
2019 (Artes Mundi 8), Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand)