A major new chapter in international art support has opened as the FLAG Art Foundation and the Serpentine Art Gallery join forces to establish the UK’s largest contemporary art prize. Announced between London and New York, the decade-long partnership will award £1 million in total to five artists, setting a new benchmark for global arts patronage and expanding the landscape of emerging artist awards.
A new beginning for emerging artists awards
The initiative introduces the Serpentine x FLAG Art Foundation Prize, a biennial award granting £200,000 to each recipient—an unprecedented level of support designed to empower artists at a crucial stage in their practice. The first laureate will be selected in 2026, with their debut solo exhibition opening at the Serpentine in London in Autumn 2027 before traveling to the FLAG Art Foundation in New York in Spring 2028.
Each presentation will feature a dedicated publication and a collaborative live program, ensuring the award supports not only the creation of new work but also meaningful public engagement across two cultural capitals.
A transatlantic vision rooted in collaboration
The two institutions describe the prize as an investment in experimentation and cross-border exchange. The programme aims to support artists who have been exhibiting professionally for fewer than ten years, but who demonstrate a growing international presence. These are artists who are ready to make a breakthrough, but who often lack major institutional support.
Bettina Korek, CEO of Serpentine, emphasized this mission, saying: “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.”
Glenn Fuhrman, Founder of The FLAG Art Foundation, echoed this commitment, noting that “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 program of exhibitions and announcing the jury in the months ahead.”
As the art world looks ahead to 2026, the joint venture signals a bold commitment to nurturing the next generation of global practitioners. With its combination of major financial support, dual exhibitions, and cross-continental visibility, the Serpentine x FLAG initiative is poised to become one of the most influential emerging artist awards of the decade.
Photography by STEVEN PROBERT
