BMW Painting Prize: art beyond cars

Since 1986, more than 24,000 artists have submitted to this Award "with a historical legacy that has become one of the most prestigious competitions in our country," say BMW.

Escalera Fala 2' was the work that won the award at the last edition of the BMW Painting Prize. Norberto Álvarez won the 25,000 euro prize with his allusion to the two staircases that the artist represents as a union of the spaces in the piece and also as a tribute to the architecture carried out by the Portuguese studio Fala Atelier, key in his artistic career. Álvarez's is one of many works – 37 in particular – that BMW has made visible and awarded throughout all its editions dedicated to art.

|'Escalera Fala 2', the winning work of the last edition of the BMW Painting Prize by the artist Norberto Álvarez.

"The BMW Painting Prize traces the Spanish artistic evolution of the last three decades and has become one of the most prestigious awards within our country," says the department in charge of coordinating this initiative at BMW. Since 1986, more than 24,000 artists have submitted to this Award and who "today form the backbone of the Spanish artistic scene and project their art internationally, thus championing the Spain Brand," the company values.

In this edition, the contest goes one step further and adapts to new trends to reach future generations. There will be two award categories in this edition through the BMW Painting Prize and the BMW Digital Art Prize. The latter, inaugurated last year, "has revolutionized the conception of art of the Prize and has allowed all artistic expressions to be introduced into the digital field," say BMW. Its first edition had more than 700 works presented, which confirms the promising beginning of a category that allows it to reflect current trends and concerns, while anticipating future needs.

The 38th edition is even more special, since it has the participation of the legendary Antonio López, painter, sculptor and draftsman, on the jury. He will be accompanied by Miguel Zugaza, director of the Museum of Fine Arts of Bilbao; Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, founder and president of the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo; Guillermo Solana, artistic director of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, and Lucía Casani, director of the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation.

The jury will announce the 12 finalists in October, of which 8 will compete for the BMW Prize for Painting and 4 for the BMW Prize for Digital Art. "We want to value the art and pictorial culture in which Spain is so rich, in addition to promoting the development of new forms of artistic expression. It is an award with a historical legacy that has become today one of the most accredited and prestigious in our country, consecrating the artists who have participated in it throughout its history," they conclude.

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