The City Council of Seville has revealed the jury for the II International Painting Prize Ciudad de Sevilla, which boasts a prize fund of €30,000, making it the highest monetary award for a painting competition in Spain. The initiative aims to acknowledge excellence in contemporary painting and promote Seville as a cultural reference point on the international stage.
The artistic jury for this second edition comprises Juan Manuel Bonet, Daniel Bilbao, María del Carmen Aranguren, and Bernardo Palomo, all of whom have extensive backgrounds in artistic creation, research, criticism, the art market, and cultural management.
Angie Moreno, the delegate for Tourism and Culture, emphasised that “with the second edition of the International Painting Prize Ciudad de Sevilla, we are reinforcing the City Council's commitment to contemporary creation and artistic talent. This competition, with a prize of €30,000, the largest in Spain in its category, places Seville on the international map of the plastic arts and provides artists with a genuine opportunity to promote and gain visibility for their work.”
Moreno also highlighted that “having a jury of this calibre, composed of professionals of recognised prestige and extensive experience in various fields of art, ensures the rigour and quality of this call. We want Seville to be a city that not only preserves its extraordinary artistic legacy but also fosters the creation of the present and future.”
The announcement marks a significant step forward in the development of this award, with the prize-giving ceremony scheduled for December at the Real Fábrica de Artillería, a historical site in Seville. Coinciding with the award presentation, an exhibition will open showcasing the finalist and winning works, allowing the public to engage with the selected pieces from this edition.
The jury represents a diverse array of perspectives from the art world, including practical painting, university teaching, art criticism, exhibition curation, and cultural institution management.
Profiles of the jury members
Juan Manuel Bonet (born 1953 in Paris) is a writer, art critic, and exhibition curator. He has directed the Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno (IVAM), the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, and the Instituto Cervantes in Paris. He is the author of the “Diccionario de las vanguardias en España (1907-1936)” and has curated numerous exhibitions featuring artists such as Picasso and Juan Gris.
Daniel Bilbao Peña (born 1966 in Seville) is a professor of Drawing and Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Seville, as well as a member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de Santa Isabel de Hungría. His artistic career includes 22 national and international awards, 40 solo exhibitions, and over a hundred group exhibitions. He has also curated exhibitions for artists like Antonio López and Carmen Laffón.
María del Carmen Aranguren Muriel (born 1973 in Badajoz) holds a degree in Journalism and a master’s in Cultural Management. Specialising in the art market, she has worked as a dealer and gallery owner through Carmen Aranguren Fine Art. She has experience in curating exhibitions for both public and private institutions and has served on the juries of numerous painting and visual arts competitions.
Bernardo Palomo Pachón holds a PhD in Art History from the University of Seville and has over forty years of experience as an art critic. He has contributed to publications such as ABC Cultural and El Cultural, and has authored “La renovación plástica en Andalucía desde el Equipo 55 al CAC Málaga,” which focuses on the evolution of contemporary Andalusian art.
The jury will also include representatives from the City Council of Seville, with Angie Moreno serving as the jury president, alongside Federico Jaime, General Director of Culture, and María Gil, Director of Cultural Programming. They will collaborate with the four artistic professionals in evaluating the submitted works.
The II International Painting Prize Ciudad de Sevilla, promoted by the City Council through the Institute of Culture and Arts of Seville (ICAS), continues its mission to support contemporary painting and enhance its visibility. The inaugural award was presented to artist Miguel Gómez Losada for his work “La mesa de Rosa (Sehnsucht).” The upcoming edition aims to further this municipal initiative, incorporating professionals from various sectors of the art world into its jury.
The culmination of this second edition will take place in December when the Real Fábrica de Artillería hosts the award ceremony and the opening of the exhibition featuring the finalist and winning works, providing an opportunity for the public to experience the results of this prestigious competition.
