Max Mara Art Prize for Women in collaboration with the Whitechapel Gallery

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The Max Mara Art Prize for Women in collaboration with the Whitechapel Gallery celebrates the aesthetic and intellectual contribution that women artists bring to the contemporary art scene. The unique initiative set up to promote and nurture female artists based in the United Kingdom, enables artists to develop their potential with the gift of time and space. The winning artist is given the opportunity to create new works of art inspired by a six month residency in Italy. The resulting works are then shown in Britain and Italy.

The Prize is awarded biannually to one UK based artist who has not previously had a major survey exhibition.   Winners receive a fully funded six-month residency in Italy, based at the British School in Rome and the Pistoletto Foundation, Biella, as well as funding to realise a new work or works that will be exhibited at the Whitechapel Gallery and may be acquired by the Collezione Maramotti, Reggio Emilia, Italy.

For each Prize a judging panel of four art-world professionals, chaired by Iwona Blazwick, devise a short-list of between three and five artists.  The short-listed artists are invited to the Whitechapel Gallery to make a presentation about their practice and the work or works they would make during or resultant from their Italian residency and funding.  

Previous winners include Margaret Salmon, film-maker; Hannah Rickards who works with sound, video and installation, and Andrea Büttner whose Max Mara Art Prize exhibition The Poverty of Riches is currently on show at the Collezione Maramotti until 29 April 2012, having premiered at the Whitechapel Gallery in Spring 2011.

Max Mara Art Prize for Women  2011- 2013

On 22 November 2011 at the Italian Embassy in London Iwona Blazwick OBE, Director Whitechapel Gallery and Chair of the Prize, announced artist Laure Prouvost as the winner of the fourth Max Mara Art Prize.

Prouvost was chosen from a distinguished shortlist of artists which included Spartacus Chetwynd, Christina Mackie, Avis Newman and Emily Wardill.

The Judging panel for the fourth Max Mara Art Prize for Women was chaired by Iwona Blazwick and included Lisa Milroy, artist; Muriel Salem, collector; Amanda Wilkinson, gallerist; and Gilda Williams,  critic and lecturer.

Read the press release for the Max Mara Art Prize Announcement 2011-2013

The Max Mara Art Prize is not open submission. 

For further information about the Max Mara Art Prize for Women, please contact Dorothea Jaffé, Project Manager Email: Dorothea@whitechapelgallery.org

Image: Laure Prouvost, Iwona Blazwick OBE, Dott. Luigi Maramotti CEO Max Mara and His Excellency Mr Alain Economides. Ambassador representing Italy in London, on the occasion of the announcement of Laure Prouvost as winner of the Max Mara Art Prize at the Italian Embassy, 22 November 2011. Credit: Chris O'Donovan.