Alicante Announces the Eusebio Sempere Award for Creation and Artistic Thought
The Eusebio Sempere Award operates with a four-member jury that will decide the recipient of the prize, a recognition that carries a cash award of 10,000 euros. Before the decision is made, the jurors will submit their own proposals and select the candidates who will contend for the prize. The process centers on a clear commitment to recognizing originality and impact in contemporary artistic thinking.
The competition is sponsored by the Culture Department of the Alicante City Council. A final decision follows a formal process approved by the governing Board, with the target date for announcing the winner set for December 15, according to the official public notice outlining the competition rules. This timing ensures that the name of the laureate is revealed within the established timeframe of the bases.
Characterized by its biennial cadence, the Eusebio Sempere Award seeks to celebrate the Alicante artist’s ongoing engagement with contemporary art and to encourage experimentation and the crossing of artistic languages, including Sempere’s own practice. The prize serves a cultural mission that is open to proposals from individuals, groups, or non-profit organizations engaged in creation and/or artistic thought.
Candidates are to be put forward by the jurors with justification, and the process emphasizes gender parity in the pool of nominees. The candidates must demonstrate merit convincingly and clearly, presenting a compelling case for recognition. The submission of candidates will be announced in a decree appointing the jury, the specifics of which have not yet been disclosed. The jury is led by a representative from the Ministry of Culture, with the head of the administration serving as president, while the MACA collections curator offers input but does not have voting rights.
Four jury members will be drawn from among individuals of recognized prestige in the worlds of culture and art. They will be appointed on the proposal of the Alicante Contemporary Art Museum, with the aim of gathering the views of institutions or professional bodies to ensure that the jury maintains high relevance, competence, and independence. In addition, the representative for the recipient from the previous edition will participate in subsequent years to reflect continuity and equity among the institutions involved.
The prize itself does not allow posthumous awards and cannot be declared void. The prize ceremony is typically held during a gala in January, in keeping with the traditions observed by the cultural authorities and the 2023 precedent set by Antonio Manresa. The prize acts as a beacon for the local cultural scene, reinforcing the value of artistic inquiry within the community.
In related outreach, the mayor recently sent a letter to the Minister of Culture requesting that the year 2023 be recognized as the Year in Honor of the artist from Onil, whose centennial is being celebrated. The aim is to highlight the artist’s enduring influence and to ensure that the centennial receives the attention it deserves. While the request has not yet received a formal response, it underscores the city’s commitment to elevating regional cultural achievements. [Citation: Alicante City Council, 2023]