The Contemporary Textile Art Award, created by the Cultural Institute of Alicante Juan Gil-Albert, aims to foster and showcase the growth of textile disciplines. It carries a prize pool of 12,000 euros and invites a collective exhibition of winning projects, emphasizing both competition and dialogue in the field.
The new edition welcomes contemporary art makers from all backgrounds, whether working solo or in groups. Applications will be accepted until September 1, through the institute’s electronic registration center.
Deputy President and Culture Vice President Julia Parra described the program as a platform to examine the aesthetic value and versatility of the province’s textile heritage, while also highlighting works by Iberian and global artists who explore the blend of culture and tradition. This description reflects a wider intent to connect local identity with international practice, inviting proposals that challenge conventional boundaries and celebrate craft as a contemporary language.
The core activity is supported by the Reüll Group, led by Joseph Ginestaris, which provides guidance and resources for plastic and visual creation. A prize pool underwrites the event, including a first prize of 6,000 euros and twenty prize awards of 300 euros each, designed to recognize fresh and compelling approaches within contemporary textile art.
Submitted works must be newly created for this contest. While techniques, themes, and formats are open, entries must align with the concept of contemporary textile art and be suitable for exhibition and framing within that framework. The winning piece will be retained by the Cultural Institute, located at Casa Bardín in Alicante, for three years. At the end of this period, the artist may choose to reclaim the work or donate it to the institute to become part of its public collection, expanding the region’s visual heritage.
This initiative sits alongside other forward-looking programs such as the Institute’s recent Residences for Performing Arts Research project, which will be hosted on Tabarca Island, illustrating Alicante’s commitment to supporting diverse forms of creative inquiry and collaboration.
In assessing entries, juries look for originality, technical skill, and the ability of a piece to engage contemporary conversations about textile practice. Review criteria emphasize how works relate to place, tradition, and global dialogue, while encouraging innovative use of materials, processes, and presentation. The competition thereby becomes a meeting ground for artists who see fabric and thread as living media capable of storytelling, social commentary, and experimental form. [Source: Cultural Institute of Alicante]