Seventy artists from Alicante presented about one hundred works to support a new call by the Ministry of Culture of Alicante. The goal is to grow the city’s contemporary art heritage through the purchase of art, with a professional jury now tasked to determine how the prizes will be shared. A total of 60,000 euros is set aside for this purpose before year’s end.
The initiative, launched by the Alicante City Council, marked a restart after a twenty year pause in new acquisitions. In the first edition, works arrived from ten provincial creators, and 248 proposals came in from 150 artists. This second edition has seen fewer submissions, yet still demonstrates strong creative breadth. The submission window closes on September 30, and Antonio Manresa, a member of the Cultural Council, noted the presence of prominent names who have submitted multiple works.
New features distinguish this edition from the first. The maximum amount invested per artist, previously capped at 8,000 euros, is no longer restricted by that limit. The Assembly retains the right not to exhaust the budget if the selection of works is partial or entirely absent.
Additionally, works from artists featured in the last three editions will not be reissued. Two artists whose works were received last year join the jurors, enriching the panel with experience from the MACA curators. The jury now includes Rosa Maria Castells, an art historian and director of the Gil-Albert Institute; Pilar Tebar, coordinator of the Lonja de Alicante exhibition space; Catherine Rodriguez; and Antonio Manresa, among others, strengthening the council’s perspective on contemporary practice.
The initiative forms part of the Alicante City Council’s artistic heritage strategy, with planned placements of selected works across various city collections. The Ministry of Culture will stage an exhibition at Lonja de Alicante, featuring newly acquired pieces alongside works from the previous edition that will be integrated into the display this summer.
Already purchased in 2021, works include Tobacco Company II by Antonio Alcaraz; Lightning in a Box by Aurelio Ayela; Orange Sonata, Blue Movement by Miguel Banuls; Magic Screen by Ana Esteve Reig; Discourse of Uncertainty by Daniel G. Andujar; The Vitality of Medusa’s Hair by Susana Guerrero; Collection of Silences I by Aurelia Masanet; The Endless Language of the Grid, The Poetics of Contradiction, The Archaeology of Metaphor, and The Infinite Displacement of the Object — all part of Louis Shepherd’s series Deconstruction on Paper; Pharaoh by the Orgy; and Children’s Corner by Jesus Zuazo.
Antonio Manresa, a councilor for promotion and visibility of Alicante’s artists, expressed confidence that the program could increase purchases and help build a robust collection that reflects the city’s creative output after the long gap, with plans to sustain and expand funding in future budgets.