Iranian artists win Abraaj Art Prize in Dubai

TEHRAN,June 19(MNA) -- Iranian artists Abbas Akhavan and Kamruz Aram were selected as two of five winners of the 2014 Abraaj Group Art Prize held in Dubai annually, organizers of the prize announced on their website last week. Anup Mathew Thomas from India, Basim Magdy from Egypt and Bouchra Khalili from Morocco are the other three winners. The Abraaj Group Art Prize is awarded to five artists for their proposals for new artworks, which will be later added to the permanent collection of the Abraaj Group, a leading private manager investing in global growth markets. The prize provides winners the opportunity to develop ambitious projects and help reward artistic developments in the region. The artists will now start working closely with the selected guest curator for 2014, Nada Raza from Pakistan. She will supervise the artists and their productions, which will later go on display at Art Dubai in March 2014. Akhavan lives and works in Toronto. His practice ranges from installations to drawing, video and performance art. His has held several exhibitions in different countries including Turkey, London and Romania. Aram lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. He received his MFA from Columbia University in 2003. His recent solo and group exhibitions have been held in the United States and Dubai. The selection committee for this year’s prize included director of Art Dubai Antonia Carver, curators Salwa Mikdadi and Jessica Morgan, and director of the Museum of Modern Art Glenn Lowry.