Sneak peek: Shadow-inspired works by finalists of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s 2025 Art Here and Richard Mille Prize

Curated by Sophie Mayuko Arni, this year’s exhibition invited artists to respond to the theme Shadows

The shortlisted works will be revealed during the Art Here exhibition in October. Victor Besa / The National

Louvre Abu Dhabi has shed light on the works selected for the fifth Art Here and Richard Mille Art Prize.

The annual exhibition and competition brings together contemporary art from the region. In a first, this year it includes contributions and participation from Japan. Curated by Sophie Mayuko Arni, the exhibition invited artists to respond to the theme Shadows, exploring ideas around light and its absence, by way of memory, identity and transformation.

While the works will be unveiled at the Art Here exhibition in October – with the winner of the Richard Mille Art Prize announced shortly after – Louvre Abu Dhabi shared a sneak peek on what to expect.

Jordanian-Palestinian artist Ahmed Alaqra will present I remember. a light, a sculptural installation of translucent resin cubes, each of which has a specific silhouetted form. The forms are drawn from analogue photographs taken in Dubai and Sharjah. They include lattice patterns cast by a palm, the edge of a stairwell and other shapes that are manifested from the interplay between light and urban spaces. I remember. a light also takes formal cues from the mashrabiya, a traditional architectural element in the Arab world.

Alaqra's work takes its cues from the mashrabiya, known for its curved latticework. Getty Images

Emirati artist and musician Jumairy, meanwhile, will unveil the interactive installation Echo. The work takes inspiration from the writings of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung and his notions of the shadow self. As such, Jumairy’s Echo will prompt visitors to reflect upon their own unconscious selves and repressed emotions.

Pakistani artist Hamra Abbas will present Trees Studies, an installation comprising stone inlay sculptures. The work depicts drawings of tree species, such as olive, pomegranate and cherry, with a focus on those found in Pakistan and the UAE. Abbas uses a lapis-inlaid-in-lapis technique to create shadow-like images of tree foliage, moving between realism and abstraction.

Japanese artist and composer Ryoichi Kurokawa will showcase skadw-. The audiovisual installation explores how shadows inform our perceptions of a space. In the work, a single vertical beam will interact with fog that is illuminated from multiple angles, producing moving shadows and creating a meditative atmosphere. The shadows, devoid of physical objects informing them, aim to embody the Japanese concept of Ma, or the beauty of emptiness, negative space and intervals.

Shortlisted artists, from top left to right, Ryoichi Kurokawa, Jumairy and Ahmed Alaqra; and from bottom left to right, Rintaro Fuse, Yokome et Bouayad and Hamra Abbas. Photo: Louvre Abu Dhabi

Japanese artist and poet Rintaro Fuse, meanwhile, will present an installation drawing from the sundial. However, Fuse’s structure envisions time in a world after the sun’s collapse. The work is crafted from polished stainless steel, reflecting its surroundings. Three gnomons – the upright poles used in traditional sundials – are fitted at its core, each of which is aligned with a different North Star, representing past, present and future. It will be installed on a rooftop, with Louvre Abu Dhabi’s signature dome as a backdrop.

Finally, the architectural duo Yokomae et Bouayad, made up of Takuma Yokomae of Japan and Dr Ghali Bouayad of Morocco, will unveil a pavilion that generates moving shadows without any actual physical movement. The Choreography of a Cloud, Dancing Shadows aims to echo the shadows cast in nature, specifically those of clouds and branches. Made of a lightweight mesh inspired by Japanese weaving and thin columns that sway with the breeze, the pavilion produces shadows of shifting shapes and patterns through the day.

Collectively, the six works investigate how shadows shape perception and inform our understanding of a space, while also touching upon personal and cultural dimensions.

The works were selected from a pool of more than 400 proposals by artists in the Mena region and Japan.

“The theme of Shadows allowed for wide interpretations of outdoor installations, and the sheer number of proposals received speaks volumes about the relevance of Art Here and the Richard Mille Art Prize at Louvre Abu Dhabi,” curator Mayuko Arni said.

“Expanding the geographical reach of the prize may come with challenges, but fostering cross-cultural understanding sits at the heart of the museum's mission and provides artists with new horizons to dream and imagine.”