Deadweight

It is the only visual arts prize for UK-based emerging women artists. Its goal is to identify, nurture and support them at a crucial stage in their careers by offering the opportunity and resources to create an ambitious new project. The prize is for woman-identifying artists of any age who live and work in the UK and have never had a major solo exhibition. For each edition, the all-female jury – made up of a gallerist, an art critic, an artist and a collector, and chaired by the director of the Whitechapel Gallery – submits a longlist of artists, from whom a shortlist of finalists is invited to submit a project proposal.

The winner, selected on the strength of her proposal, is awarded a six-month residency in Italy, organized by Collezione Maramotti and tailored to her artistic and personal needs. In each stage of the residency, the artist can rely on the guidance of experts to advise and support her in her research. At the end, the artist shows her project in a solo exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery and Collezione Maramotti; it is then acquired by the latter for its prestigious permanent collection, completing the cycle of support for the artist. The Max Mara Art Prize for Women is known for providing exceptional recognition and support to the creative process of women artists, a hallmark that earned it the British Council Arts & Business International Award in 2007.