Award Fundación MACBA

The MACBA Foundation Award is a biennial contemporary art award that aims to distinguish and highlight the work of contemporary visual artists in Spain and Portugal.
We firmly believe in contemporary art as a powerful tool for understanding our present, promoting education and fostering a critical spirit. In line with this goal, in 2024 the MACBA Foundation is launching the first edition of the Award, which recognises the contribution of visual artists with a solid track record in the art scene and supports their professional careers.

The Prize is awarded to the artist or visual artists collective who, in the years 2023-2024, have excelled in terms of quality, innovation and transformation in the formalisation of their artistic proposals and who have stood out for their narrative and language.

To ensure an impartial and objective selection process, the foundation appoints a committee and an expert jury every two years. Their role is to evaluate the candidates and select the three finalists and the winner, in accordance with the established criteria. In the initial phase, the committee is tasked with conducting a comprehensive analysis of the Spanish and Portuguese artistic landscape and presenting their findings.

In the second phase, the jury, comprising national and international experts, will review the proposals and select the winning artist, along with the three finalists. The jury’s decision will be announced during the Gala Award Ceremony in November 2024.

The total award is 80,000 euros. It is divided between the award-winning artist, who receives 50,000 euros, and each of the three finalists, who receive 10,000 euros.

The MACBA Foundation Award Committee for 2024 comprises six nationally renowned professionals in the field of contemporary art.

  • Manuel Cirauqui, Curator of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and Director of einaidea, Fundació Eina, Barcelona.
  • Tania Pardo, Director of CA2M.
  • Agustín Pérez Rubio, independent curator. Member of the Board of CIMAM, Madrid.
  • Bárbara Rodriguez, Director of Exhibitions and Collection, Centro Botín, Santander.
  • Claudia Segura, Head of Collection, MACBA, Barcelona.
  • Gilberto González, independent curator and professor of aesthetics at the University of La Laguna (ULL) in Tenerife.

Jury

Adam Szymczyk

Curator of the International Cooperation Office of the Kunsthaus Zurich and Director of Kassel Documenta 14.

Elvira Dyangani Ose

Art and architecture historian and Director of MACBA.

Manuel J. Borja-Villel

Art historian, former director of MACBA and of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, current advisor for Culture to the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Manuel Segade

Art historian and director of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.

Angela Molina

Comparative philologist and art critic.

Abdellah Karroum

Curator and director of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar.

Ainhoa Grandes

President of the MACBA Foundation and coordinator of the Jury.

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