Merrill Lynch backs worldwide arts initiative with sponsorship

31 May, 2007

Artes Mundi – the biennial international contemporary visual arts initiative launched in 2004 – has today announced a new sponsorship from Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management . It is to sponsor the global search and selection process that will see eight of the best emerging contemporary artists from across the world exhibiting in Cardiff next year.

The exciting international show will unify around the Artes Mundi theme of humanity, the human form and the human condition. One of the artists will be chosen to receive the £40,000 Artes Mundi Prize which was previously awarded to the Chinese artist Xu Bing in 2004 and to the Finnish artist Eija-Liisa Ahtila in 2006.

Artes Mundi has also announced today that the two independent Selectors for the 2008 exhibition are Olabisi Silva from Nigeria, who co-curated the Dakar Biennale in 2006, and Isabel Carlos from Portugal, who was the Artistic Director of the Sydney Biennale in 2004. Their task is to draw up a shortlist of eight artists, starting from over 400 nominations submitted by leading curators, artists and arts professionals from more than 65 countries, plus their own personal nominations and a series of studio visits.

Lucy Stout, Head of Development for Artes Mundi said “This sponsorship from Merrill Lynch which covers the costs of the Selectors’ world travel and research is great news for many reasons. Clearly the financial support is important to us but the choice Merrill Lynch has made, as an established global brand, to position itself alongside Artes Mundi also helps draw attention to our international ambition and scope”.

Nick Tucker, Market Leader for UK and Ireland, Merrill Lynch GPC EMEA added “Merrill Lynch is proud to be sponsoring Artes Mundi’s mission to select contemporary artists from around the world. The project celebrates creative diversity and has the potential to open up thinking and create debate. It is a bold and exciting initiative launched from Wales, a part of the UK that is increasingly important to us.”

This year’s shortlisted artists will be announced at the end of September 2007 and will present their work at the third Artes Mundi Exhibition at National Museum Cardiff, Wales from 15th March to 8th June 2008. The Prize will be awarded in April 2008.