The Max Mara Art Prize for Women is a unique and pioneering biennial award for women-identifying artists, originated and established in 2005 by Max Mara Fashion Group in collaboration with Whitechapel Gallery. Collezione Maramotti, home to a world-class contemporary art collection, joined as an additional partner in 2007.
The Max Mara Art Prize for Women aims to promote and nurture women artists at a crucial stage in their careers through increased visibility, as well as by offering the support and resources to develop an ambitious new work which is then presented at a solo exhibition.
Between 2005-2024 the prize was open to women-identifying artists of any age, living and working in the UK who have not previously had a major exhibition. The prize reflects Max Mara’s long history of fostering close relationships between art, creativity, and women.
The one of a kind Prize is premised on a distinctive format. Rather than presenting the winner with a single financial award, it provides a tailored residency programme in Italy, organised by Collezione Maramotti. This is specifically designed to help evolve the artist’s practice and to develop a new body of work by providing the invaluable resource of time and space, alongside tailored creative and professional support. Following the residency and production of the new work, the artist is given a major exhibition, accompanied by a publication. This gives audiences the opportunity to fully engage with creative process. Collezione Maramotti further acquires the commission for their world-class art collection, ensuring that the relationship with the artist continues beyond the two-year prize cycle.
For each edition a jury, comprising art world specialists submit a longlist of artists, from which a final shortlist of five is agreed, all of whom present a proposal for a new body of work, which responds to, or speaks of, an Italian context.
The winner is then selected on the strength of their proposal and announced at a special ceremony. The residency programme they then undertake is uniquely tailored to fit the particular needs and focus. Collezione Maramotti works in collaboration with the artist to ensure that each stage of the residency is overseen by a relevant tutor, who guides the artist in their research, and offers insights and knowledge into Italian culture, and traditions to help inform the final work.
Whitechapel Gallery was a formative partner of the Prize until 2025. During these twenty years the three partners have worked collaboratively on each phase of the prize cycle sharing their particular expertise and resources to ensure maximum benefit to the winning artist and project.
The Max Mara Art Prize for Women is distinct and exceptional in recognising and supporting the creative process and was awarded the British Council Arts & Business International Award in 2007.
We are delighted to announce that after 20 years of identifying and supporting UK based talent, the Max Mara Art Prize for Women is going global.
The tenth edition marks a new itinerant format in which Max Mara and Collezione Maramotti will work with different international partners and venues to amplify the reach and impact of this pioneering initiative.
This development marks an exciting new chapter of the prize and builds on the incredible success of the last two decades. Since 2005 Whitechapel Gallery, Max Mara, and Collezione Maramotti have helped identify and support nine incredible UK based artists: Dominique White, Emma Talbot, Helen Cammock, Emma Hart, Corin Sworn, Laure Prouvost, Andrea Büttner, Hannah Rickards and Margaret Salmon.
Find out more about the new phase of the prize.
For general information on the history of the Max Mara Prize for Women please contact communications@whitechapelgallery.org and info@collezionemaramotti.org
Explore the practice of the artists shortlisted for the 9th edition of the prize: Rebecca Bellantoni, Bhajan Hunjan, Onyeka Igwe, Zinzi Minott, and Dominique White.
Dominique White is the winner of the 9th edition of the Max Mara Art Prize for Women. Learn more about her practice and winning proposal, Deadweight.
Find out more about the residency organised by Collezione Maramotti, which is specially designed to inform, support and develop the work through dedicated resources and a tailored programme of research, mentoring and skill-building.
Drawing on Whitechapel Gallery’s longstanding commitment and support of women artists, the prize was conceived in 2005 by its former Director, Iwona Blazwick, in collaboration with Max Mara as a way to offer emergent female artists an invaluable and unique framework for the development of both their practice and a new artwork. Collezione Maramotti, which owns and exhibits a world-class collection of contemporary Art, joined as a partner and collaborator in 2007 – the year it officially opened its doors to the public.
Throughout its nearly ten year history the Max Mara Art Prize for Women (MMAP) has been significant in shining a light on emergent female-identifying artists and giving them the time, guidance and resources to create new and extraordinary artworks that speak of – and to – the world around them.
