The Spanish culture and arts sector finished 2022 with a renewed sense of energy and reinvention after the pandemic shock, earning broad recognition from the Ministry of Culture and Sports for 33 individuals and organizations on the national circuit. The year also marked the presentation of the 2022 Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts.
Since its establishment in 1969, this award remains the largest single list of honors ever bestowed by the Spanish government to people and groups who have distinguished themselves in artistic and cultural creation or who have provided notable service to the promotion, development, or dissemination of art and cultural heritage.
The list covers a wide range of disciplines and Hispanic communities, and this year includes prominent figures such as actor Javier Cámara, writer Rosa Montero, singer Víctor Manuel, and the posthumous recognition of cultural manager and former minister José Guirao. It also features a Canary Islands artist, painter and sculptor Mercedes Mariño, known by the nickname Mirazo.
The inclusion of Mirazo has sparked surprise within the island’s cultural scene, prompting questions about the selection standards and processes behind a national honor that carries significant prestige and is not always accompanied by a visible public profile for the recipient. The profile describes someone with modest works, limited shows, and little official visibility.
name confusion
The industry has warned the Ministry of Culture and Sports about potential confusion with Mercedes Mariño’s sister, Marta Mariño, who is also a painter. Marta is regarded as a major figure among contemporary Canarian artists from the late 1970s and 1980s, according to the Atlantic Center of Modern Art (CAAM) Artists Dictionary profile.
CAAM, a cornerstone institution in the Canary Islands, holds Marta Mariño’s works in its collection, and Tenerife’s Art Space (TEA) has hosted her exhibitions. Mercedes Mariño has appeared in seven separate exhibitions from the mid-1990s to the present, some in smaller or more peripheral venues. Her latest appearance at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria’s Art Gallery (ULPGC) was in 2013, over a decade ago.
The artist, who studied Business, grew up in a family of painters and focuses on the study of the human figure and its anxieties, dreams, and everyday actions, according to her biography. Although she has pursued art since the 1990s, her work is not part of any public collection in the archipelago.
award transparency
In light of these contradictions, the Institute of Contemporary Art (IAC) raised concerns and called for a transparent method. An open letter to the minister urged avoiding opacity in the awards process and noted that there is no fixed number of medals, with selections depending on the ministry’s recommendations rather than a formal jury or commissions.
The arts representatives association urged the application of clear standards and rigorous criteria, aligned with best practices in the visual arts. It proposed establishing an advisory board representing all cultural sectors to guide selection processes, ensuring consistency with the relevant law.
Canary Islands perspective
Pedro Déniz, head of the IAC’s regional delegation for the Canary Islands, stated that the Canarian cultural sector felt deeply saddened. He stressed that a ministry should seek input from industry professionals when recognizing national significance, highlighting the ministry’s lack of familiarity with the local artistic landscape.
Angeles Alemán, an art historian and professor at ULPGC, noted that Mirazo faced particular circumstances in the 1970s connected to the Luján Pérez School and the Canarian generation of painters who matured in the late 70s and 80s. She suggested that Marta Mariño has gained greater recognition in recent years and speculated that the error may have resulted from outdated ministry records rather than name overlap alone.
The association Women in Visual Arts (MAV) and several notable island artists, along with others across the national map, issued statements about the controversy. They argued that the Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts should reflect sustained contribution and national significance, while acknowledging the historical bias that can obscure women working in the visual arts. The dispute has drawn attention to the broader question of how legacy and public memory are built.
Mercedes and Marta Mariño chose not to comment publicly on the matter, given the sensitive context this disagreement has created for the sisters.