Artes Mundi is a biennial international contemporary art competition hosted in the Welsh Capital city of Cardiff. As a thought-provoking and meaningful exhibition, Artes Mundi enriches Cardiff with a valued cultural space for everyone.

 

Since 2004, the National Museum of Wales has hosted the competition, which recognises and celebrates present-day visual artists from all over the globe. Located in the heart of the city is the museum and access to Artes Mundi is open to all and entry is free.

Artes Mundi – or ‘arts of the world’ – is for artists whose work engages with the human state, social actuality and live events. Whittled down from 450 nominees, this year’s five finalists capture issues that tarnish global societies today. From industrial exploitation and the invasiveness of surveillance, to racism and lack of self identity, the artwork produced cuts deeply into the flaws of a troubled generation and captures urgent issues our time. The exhibition is designed to stir the consciousness of the visitors
and with a cash prize of £40,000 for the wining artist, it comes to no surprise that Artes Mundi is regarded by critics and museum guests alike as the UK’s biggest and most political art competition.

 

What does Artes Mundi mean to  Cardiff?

As the organisation is rooted in Cardiff the competition presents an international programme that enriches Welsh culture by creating a window to the world for Welsh natives. Every year the shortlist is a diverse selection, spanning over continents and providing a global platform for educational and cultural debate regarding current and meaningful art work. Stephen Phillips, the head of Marketing and Communications for Artes Mundi, commented on the demographic that this biennial competition attracts,

“Of all the people coming to the museum, a quarter are coming for the exhibition… a lot of Welsh [people] come to the museum but we do get people from other big British cities such as Bristol and London. We get international visitors too, especially curators from museums and contemporary art exhibitions.”

For the people of Wales, the meaning of Artes Mundi stretches beyond the realm of representation as it creates a dialogue to discuss the meaning behind the artwork. With an obvious lack of contemporary spaces in Cardiff, the international status of this competition represents promise for the artists, as well as an opportunity for the curious minds of visitors and guests, many of whom happen to be Welsh. Artes Mundi is both meaningful and stimulating to Cardiff’s cultural scene and as nation we look forward to welcoming the prestigious event back home every two years.

Come and visit Artes Mundi 8 at National Museum Wales until the 24th of February 2019. Follow the link for more information on the Arts of the World in Cardiff: http://www.artesmundi.org/