The project “Public Art 2020” belongs to the EDP Foundation, and it was born with a clear objective: developing a joint artistic action that combines applying art and architectural design to transform the territory. This project is aimed at students of art, design or architecture disciplines, and it seeks to promote social inclusion through art and involving the community; in this case, the Asturian council of Ribera de Arriba.

Young people who apply, alone or in multidisciplinary groups, must choose between 3 possibilities: an extension of the surface area of the Viesca Social Center to turn it into a connection and services point in the council, the integration of an open environment that welcomes all the populations in the La Llosa neighborhood, or acting on the Prieto family mansion in Bueño and its green areas to make it a multipurpose cultural space.

The previous has been explained by the members of the jury during the launching session of this first edition, which took place virtually. The act was attended by the mayor of Ribera de Arriba, Tomás Fernández; the director of the EDP Foundation, Vanda Martins; and the architect and president of the jury, Joaquín Vaquero Ibáñez. Other participants were Karin Ohlenschläger, director of the Laboral Center of Art and Industrial Creation, and Laura Gutiérrez, director of the Oviedo School of Arts, both of them members of the contest committee.

The registration opening date will be August 1, while the deadline will be October 31. The criteria for selecting the finalist projects, which will be known on December 15, are the following: economically viable actions, that combine a balance between beauty and practice, that are innovative and sustainable, and that suit the urban and social environment. The proposals evaluation will take place through a digital platform.

Regarding the recognition, the best proposal will be awarded with 14,000€, out of 3 categories up to a total of 42,000€. Moreover, the project will be executed, so it will be persistent over time.

As stated by the director of the EDP Foundation, Vanda Martins, “it is essential for the EDP Foundation to maintain a connection with those territories where EDP is present, and there is no better way to contribute to its development than through an artistic intervention. We consider this project to make a double impact: both in terms of transformation and reactivation of places and as a great opportunity for young creators from all over Spain to see their first major project come to fruition".

The architect and president of the jury Joaquín Vaquero Ibáñez affirmed that “another goal of the “Public Art” is to stimulate local development in the rural environment. In other words, to promote activity in a small town through the improvement of its conditions, the balance between beauty and practice, and the interaction between the community and the participants. The final result will be a heritage that will endure in the territory and will generate a strong attachment to it".

All information about the contest “Public Art 2020” in the web fundacionedp.es/es/artepublico