LONDON, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The 11th Artes Mundi international contemporary art prize biennial exhibition opened Friday in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, showcasing works by six artists from around the world competing for this year's award.
Hosted at the National Museum Cardiff and several cultural venues across Wales, the exhibition explores themes of collective memory, migration, identity, drug issues, and ecological crises. It examines the complex ties between individuals and society, as well as between local and global contexts, highlighting the challenges facing humanity and cultural development today.
Zambian artist Anawana Haloba explores how societies with different political, social, economic, and cultural contexts position themselves in relation to one another, drawing inspiration from her home country. Sawangwongse Yawnghwe draws on his family history and opium cultivation to reflect on Myanmar's history. Sancintya Mohini Simpson, a descendant of Indian indentured laborers in South Africa, addresses migration, memory, and trauma, confronting gaps in the colonial archive.
Kameelah Janan Rasheed uses paintings, videos, and scripts to explore communication, language, and meaning. Jumana Emil Abboud combines paintings, videos, and wax sculptures to connect myths and folklore across cultures. Antonio Paucar responds to Andean ecological crises through performance-based video art and alpaca wool textile sculptures.
Artes Mundi director Nigel Prince told Xinhua the selection focuses on artists at pivotal career stages who are gaining international recognition and are offered a platform for major solo exhibitions.
"Through individual artists' practices, the artists examine different facets of what it means to be alive today, dealing not only with the contemporary, but also with the legacies of history, whether around colonialism, the legacy of industrialization that now impacts climate or environmental conditions, or ideas of shifting identity," he said.
The biennial, held in partnership with the Bagri Foundation, runs until March 1, 2026. The Artes Mundi prize, worth 40,000 pounds (53,000 U.S. dollars), will be announced on Jan. 15. ■