The inaugural Miradas contest from the Jorge Alió Foundation kicked off in 1998, presenting the work of a hundred Alicante artists at the IFA during the Spanish Ophthalmology Society Congress. A quarter of a century later, this biennial call for paintings has organized thirteen national editions and ten international editions, drawing more than 2,500 artists from 27 countries. Over the years, it has awarded numerous prizes, showcased 70 works, and hosted 20 exhibitions, including three held in Italy. The event stands as a milestone in its field, culminating in a grand exhibition curated by the foundation for the festive anniversary.
The 25th anniversary celebration saw a dramatic installation by Juana Maria Balsalobre that blanketed a major city venue, turning Alicante’s town hall and market district into a living art space. The exhibition features 91 pieces that seek to capture the essence of sight or convey a strong visual message, a central aim echoed by the organizers and the Jorge Alió Foundation. This fusion of science and art serves to raise awareness about eye health and the prevention of blindness, linking creativity with public health advocacy in a way that resonates with diverse audiences.
Leading the competition was a director who also serves as president of the Alió Foundation, guiding the event toward recognition within the contemporary art scene. The gathering draws more than a hundred artists who participate year after year, many returning to share new perspectives. Their works are evaluated by a distinguished jury, this year chaired by Alfonso de la Torre, a renowned connoisseur of contemporary Spanish art who regards the prize as a rare honor to oversee.
The chairman spoke about the mystery of sight, while this year’s winning pieces—selected in the Explanada room from a group of finalists—were announced during the closing exhibition and will be presented alongside other standout works. Thirty-four photographic studies are on display in the Tabarca room, including the first exhibition of this discipline, alongside a table of thirteen honors and international awards. Nine children’s drawings fill the Luceros room and the entrance hall. The curator emphasized that every piece embodies a symbiotic relationship between vision health, blindness prevention, and artistic creation.
Awarded this year
This edition presents four main prizes dating back to the program’s 1998 launch, along with two honorary distinctions and a selection of three works for international competition. A Professional and Artistic Orbit Award is also slated for a later ceremony in July. The Orbit Award for 2023 went to Angel Mateo Charris from Cartagena for his work Eye Doctor’s Dream, a piece that sits among the legacies of artists like Luis Feito, Polín Laporta, José Mª Yturralde, and Eduardo Naranjo, among others. The judgment of this piece was shaped by the critic José Luis Martínez Meseguer.
In the Miradas Award 2023, Manuel Paez Alvarez from Murcia earned the top honor for Leucippus. The painting drew attention for its Dutch-influenced atmosphere, while UMH professor Jose Antonio Hinojos received the Jorge Alió Foundation Award for Refraction Errors with a work titled Velazqueña. Adrian Munoz Espouy earned the Best Emerging Artist Award for a piece exploring introspection through watercolor and graphite. Natan Tarrago Terradellas, who has about 80 percent visual impairment, received the Best Artist with Functional Diversity Award for Half Naked, a creation that remains resilient despite limiting conditions. The artist noted that disease may restrict space but not the ability to create.
The top composition prize went to Ginesa Martinez Lopez for Flying Eye, portraying a person with Down syndrome who reinterpreted an Eduardo Naranjo work using an original technique inspired by Manuel Fernando Adrianzen with optical illusion selfies.
Prize money exceeded 20,000 euros in this edition, underscoring the event’s growing scale and impact on the artists and communities it touches.