A prestigious international art competition in Wales has come under harsh criticism from a major British newspaper, with The Guardian's art critic Jonathan Jones delivering a devastating one-star review of Artes Mundi 11. The critic described the £40,000 prize exhibition as "smug, stagey, up-itself nonsense for art world wazzocks," suggesting that none of the six international artists competing seemed interested in engaging with visitors.

Artes Mundi represents the United Kingdom's largest contemporary art award, featuring new and major works exhibited across Wales as part of its eleventh edition. Running from October 24, 2025, to March 1, 2026, in partnership with the Bagri Foundation, the exhibition spans five venues nationwide with the winner set to be announced at a ceremony at the National Museum Cardiff on January 15, 2026.

Jones's primary criticism centers on the exhibition's dispersal across multiple galleries throughout Wales. Drawing on his personal experience growing up in north Wales, he explained how the country's mountainous terrain creates significant distances between regions. "I spent the first 18 years of my life in north Wales but never saw the capital Cardiff until I lived in London," he wrote, referencing his father's complaints about Cardiff's cultural monopolization. The critic argued that Artes Mundi has "given in to this localism by devolving itself throughout the land," making it impractical for visitors to see complete artist presentations.

The exhibition structure places mini-displays of all six artists in one long room at the National Museum Cardiff, while their larger shows are distributed among four other galleries across Wales. Jones questioned who would undertake such an extensive journey, describing the National Museum show as "not exactly appetising." He criticized the artists for failing to engage visitors "emotionally, intellectually or aesthetically," suggesting their assumed audience consists only of "experts, collectors, cognoscenti" who ultimately award the prizes.

The review systematically critiques each participating artist before concluding with particularly sharp language. Jones suggested that the curators may have deliberately scattered the exhibition across Wales to "conceal the frailty of what's on offer" while daring critics to question them without seeing the complete show. In a final comparison that underscored his disappointment, he stated: "If only the ghost train on Llandudno pier still existed. Now that really was fuel for the imagination."

Artes Mundi Director Nigel Prince responded to the criticism by emphasizing the prize's role as "an important platform of cultural exchange between the UK and global artistic communities." He noted that the exhibition brings significant contemporary art from international artists to Wales every two years, with the tenth edition attracting record visitor numbers. Prince highlighted that the national presentation across Cardiff, Swansea, Aberystwyth, and Llandudno provides audiences throughout the country opportunities to engage with artists from different corners of the world.

The director also pointed to the prize's track record of working with artists at crucial career stages, many of whom have become established figures on the world stage. He specifically mentioned John Akomfrah, who represented Britain at the most recent Venice Biennale, described as the most significant international art exhibition.

The six artists competing for Artes Mundi 11 include Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Jumana Emil Abboud, Antonio Paucar, Anawana Haloba, Sancintya Mohini Simpson, and Sawangwongse Yawnghwe. Their works are installed across the various Welsh venues, with installations viewable at locations including the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Mostyn, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Chapter, and the National Museum Cardiff. Despite the harsh review, the exhibition continues its run through March 2026, maintaining its position as a significant event in the international contemporary art calendar.