To Encourage Talent

The Ariane de Rothschild Prize aims to reflect, to question and to promote the proliferation of contemporary artistic practices that constitute the world of painting. It aims at showing that the philosophy of painting can spill over into the fields of photography, sculpture, video and even performance.

This prize not only intends to bring painting back to life but also to reclaim its importance and status. To this end, we want to reunite the artistic traditions inherited through painting and the new artistic trends and lexicon emerging in the 21st Century. We are moving into a wider field of painting, the field of the hybrid in which categories and demarcations no longer make sense and need to be cast aside, the modern is merged with the old, figuration with abstraction.

The Ariane de Rothschild Prize focuses on education as being the primary mandate of the Fundación Ariane de Rothschild. It wishes to direct its efforts not simply to a monetary award but on something much more important: education. This decision was made given the profusion of art prizes in Europe and competition over amounts. Of course, artists require money to develop their work; yet education and networking are equally essential.

With a six-month scholarship in an outstanding art school in London, the winner of the Ariane the Rothschild Prize will be participating in one of the most vibrant art scenes in the world. He/she will be part of an intensive research and studio program developed together with internal and external tutors of the Slade School of Fine Art. The winner will also be given an unprecedented opportunity to build bridges with fellow artists at the school and outside. This scholarship is an encouragement and an investment. It is a statement affirming the belief in someone’s work and future.