Serpentine & The FLAG Art Foundation have announced the creation of a new prize dedicated to supporting artists worldwide. Over the next decade, a total of £1 million will be awarded biennially – £200,000 to each recipient – to 5 artists, providing unmatched support at a pivotal moment in their careers. This will be the UK’s largest contemporary art prize given to a single artist.
“This partnership deepens our shared mission to forge new connections between artists and audiences while nurturing transatlantic dialogue. The alliance provides global artists with the space and support to expand their practice, inspired by Zaha Hadid’s enduring spirit of experimentation. We couldn’t be more delighted to collaborate with The FLAG Art Foundation on this shared vision for the future.”
Bettina Korek, CEO of Serpentine
Each recipient will stage a solo exhibition that debuts at either Serpentine or The FLAG Art Foundation and is then reimagined for the partner institution, creating an ongoing artistic dialogue between the two. This partnership will establish a decade-long collaboration, awarding five prizes to five outstanding artists. The first artist to be awarded funds will be selected in 2026, with the inaugural exhibition set to open at Serpentine in London in Autumn 2027, before travelling to FLAG in New York in Spring 2028. Each presentation will be accompanied by a dedicated catalogue and a dynamic live programme, developed and produced collaboratively by both institutions.This long-term partnership reflects the shared commitment between FLAG and Serpentine to support artistic experimentation and exchange across borders. The Serpentine x FLAG Art Foundation Prize underscores both organisations’ belief in the power of collaboration to shape the future of contemporary art.Artists will be considered for the award through a nomination process, with a rotating jury of internationally renowned curators, art historians and artists selecting the final recipients. Details of the jury to be announced in due time.The prize is intended to provide artists, at a significant stage in their careers, with the freedom and time to develop a substantial new body of work, exhibit them, and explore new ideas.
“This partnership marks FLAG’s most significant commitment to artists beyond the United States and we could not be happier to do so with Serpentine. By collaborating with Serpentine to create this prize, we are reaffirming our institutional commitment to champion contemporary artists and to continue providing new opportunities for those artists to share their work with art-lovers everywhere. We look forward to unveiling the forthcoming programme of exhibitions and announcing the jury in the months ahead.”
Glenn Fuhrman, Founder of The FLAG Art Foundation,
“We are delighted to launch the largest contemporary art prize in the UK. What makes this prize so significant is its focus on artists who have not yet received the visibility or recognition they deserve. This has long been central to Serpentine’s programme: from presenting the first UK monographic exhibitions for emerging artists to championing overlooked voices whose contributions merit greater acknowledgment.Serpentine + FLAG Art Foundation equals 11, and we look forward to this new adventure.”
Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director of Serpentine
Artists selected for the prize will be of any generation or age, from all geographies, will have been exhibiting professionally for less than 10 years and will be actively working to grow and sustain a strong record of international museum and gallery exhibitions, including gallery representation, honours, awards, art critic reviews, grants and publications. Over the last six years, the Suzanne Deal Booth / FLAG Art Foundation Prize, co-organised with The Contemporary Austin, has seen FLAG support a number of artists with direct funds, along with an exhibition and corresponding publication. Artists include Nicole Eisenman (2020), Tarek Atoui (2022), Lubaina Himid (2024) and Sable Elyse Smith (2026).
@serpentineuk / @flagartfoundation
About
The FLAG Art Foundation is a non-collecting, nonprofit exhibition space that mounts solo, two-person, and thematic group exhibitions centring on emerging and established artists from around the globe. Organised by a diverse community of curators and thinkers within and beyond the art world, FLAG opened to the public in 2008 and has staged over 100 exhibitions celebrating the work of nearly 1,000 artists. Committed to providing education and resources for its surrounding community, and across New York City, all exhibitions and programmes—including artist talks, artist-led workshops, and guided tours for school and museum groups—are free and open to the public.The FLAG Art Foundation was founded by Glenn Fuhrman, an art patron and philanthropist, and alongside his wife Amanda, a Co-Founder of The Fuhrman Family Foundation. During his undergraduate studies, he studied Art History in London at University College London (UCL). Fuhrman is a Trustee of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, The Tate Americas Foundation, New York, NY, and is a Board Member of The Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, PA. He is also a Board Member of the 92nd Street Y, New York, and The Central Park Conservancy, New York, NY
