The Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize aims to increase the international exposure of artists in Portugal or of the Portuguese diaspora, whilst raising funds for charitable programmes in the country. Associação SAF is the Portuguese arm of The Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF), established in 2021. Money raised through Associação SAF will be used to fund and develop programmes that help disadvantaged children in Portugal using expressive arts as a means of education, communication and engagement.
To exhibit a true and balanced representation of the most significant contemporary art from Portugal and to showcase its diverse character and qualities.
To widen and build knowledge of the work of artists from Portugal and its diaspora; to give them public visibility, exposure in the art market and a wider international following.
To exhibit the works in a public art space so that visitors may directly engage with some of the best contemporary art of the country and to make this exhibition available online to as broad an audience as possible.
To sell artworks and raise a significant amount for the artists and for charitable causes helping disadvantaged children in Portugal.
The Prize invites contemporary artists, nominated by a board of independent art professionals, to each enter up to three artworks online. A judging panel comprised of world-class art experts shortlist the 30 most accomplished artworks from a range of digital entries.
The shortlisted artworks are exhibited at Palácio das Artes in Porto (13 – 30 April 2022), before moving to Sociedade Nacional de Belas-Artes in Lisbon (27 May – 18 June 2022), then the Museu Berardo Estremoz (22 June – 15 August 2022), culminating in August at a venue, to be announced, in the Algarve. The judges scores are aggregated, and a Grand Prize winner is named. The other shortlisted artworks are sold in an online auction, participating artists receive half of the sale proceeds, as they would with a sale through a gallery, and the other half will be used to further the charitable aims of Associação SAF; where money raised will be used to fund and develop arts programmes in Portugal that help disadvantaged children using expressive arts as a means of education, communication and engagement.
To encourage engagement and increase exposure of the artists’ works, the general public are invited to cast a vote online or in person for their favourite artwork displayed in the exhibition. The artwork with the most votes is awarded the Public Vote Prize.
€25,000, Grand Prize
€2,000, Public Vote Prize
