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The 2024 Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize

Launched in 2021, The Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize increases the international exposure of artists in Portugal or of the Portuguese diaspora, whilst raising funds for arts education programmes in the country.

How it works

01

Nomination and Shortlisting

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 then shortlists the 30 best artworks from a range of digital images. Click here for T&Cs.

02

Exhibition

The shortlisted artworks are exhibited in Portugal. Members of the public can enjoy the artworks and engage in the public vote. Local students are offered the opportunity to engage in educational programming.

At the exhibition, the artworks are judged for a second time and voted on by the public. The judges scores are aggregated, and a Grand Prize winner is named.

03

Public Vote

To increase exposure for the artists, the general public are invited to cast a vote online or in person for their favourite shortlisted artwork. The most popular artwork is awarded the Public Vote Prize.

04

Sale of Artworks

The shortlisted artworks besides the Grand Prize winner will be sold at a fixed price and are split evenly between the artists and the local expressive arts programming.

Artists receive the same split as they would through a gallery and Associação SAF, the Portuguese arm of The Sovereign Art Foundation, receives the other half to fund expressive art programs for disadvantaged children in need in Portugal.

 

The Prizes

There are two cash prizes available to shortlisted artists. In addition, all shortlisted artists enjoy increased international exposure, top tier media coverage, and the opportunity to exhibit their work publicly in Portugal.

01
Grand Prize image

Grand Prize

Awarded to the artist with the highest score from the judges.

02
Public Vote Prize image

Public Vote Prize

Awarded to the artist with the most votes from the public.

Shortlist

±MaisMenos±
50 ao Largo   image
VOTE NOW
50 ao Largo 
José Pedro Cortes
A Room before a Window image
VOTE NOW
A Room before a Window
Marcelo Moscheta
Ambulare #7 image
VOTE NOW
Ambulare #7
Diana Costa
Circles of Reality and Transformation image
VOTE NOW
Circles of Reality and Transformation
Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf
Banquet image
VOTE NOW
Banquet
Wasted Rita
cure my S.A.D. 2 image
VOTE NOW
cure my S.A.D. 2
Conceição Abreu
Da série (ins.tan.tâ.ne. os) image
VOTE NOW
Da série (ins.tan.tâ.ne. os)
Paulo Arraiano
Deepwaters (a4) image
VOTE NOW
Deepwaters (a4)
Isabel Sabino
Different lights image
VOTE NOW
Different lights
Dalila Gonçalves
Dream Speakers   image
VOTE NOW
Dream Speakers  
Francisco Trêpa
Dripping Stage image
VOTE NOW
Dripping Stage
Rita GT
Dumping series   image
VOTE NOW
Dumping series  
AnaMary Bilbao
Frame Collision (2) image
VOTE NOW
Frame Collision (2)
Maria Luísa Capela
If I knew how to pray, I would know how to live   image
VOTE NOW
If I knew how to pray, I would know how to live  
Nuno Sousa Vieira
Imitar o andar 1   image
VOTE NOW
Imitar o andar 1  
Ana Pais Oliveira
O problema da habitação   image
VOTE NOW
O problema da habitação  
Clara Imbert
Orgueil   image
VOTE NOW
Orgueil  
RUI MACEDO
PACKAGE_PAINTING image
VOTE NOW
PACKAGE_PAINTING
Mário Lopes
PAPAVER ARCA image
VOTE NOW
PAPAVER ARCA
Adriana Molder
Petite Camusette   image
VOTE NOW
Petite Camusette  
Paulo Mendes
Porto, chair on the stairs Porto, cadeira na escada   image
VOTE NOW
Porto, chair on the stairs Porto, cadeira na escada  
Ana Cardoso
Recurrent Thoughts, 2023-2024 image
VOTE NOW
Recurrent Thoughts, 2023-2024
João Alexandrino – JAS
run rabbit run  image
VOTE NOW
run rabbit run 
Rodrigo Oliveira
Searching for utopia (current state/ LC Villa Savoye) image
VOTE NOW
Searching for utopia (current state/ LC Villa Savoye)
Juliana Julieta
Spillovers  image
VOTE NOW
Spillovers 
Rogério da Silva
The Balcony   image
VOTE NOW
The Balcony  
Maja Escher
tronco, ramo, galho, arco, caule, rede   image
VOTE NOW
tronco, ramo, galho, arco, caule, rede  
Pedro Barateiro
Underwater Scene image
VOTE NOW
Underwater Scene
Susana Piteira
Untitled 1# (from the Lux Series) Wall sculpture   image
VOTE NOW
Untitled 1# (from the Lux Series) Wall sculpture  
Jaime Silva
Untitled, 2023 House of Words III (Series)   image
VOTE NOW
Untitled, 2023 House of Words III (Series)  
Tomek Sadurski
Theorem 7  image
VOTE NOW
Theorem 7 
Luísa Jacinto
from the series Strangers, X  image
VOTE NOW
from the series Strangers, X 
joão Gabriel
untitled -  Joao Gabriel image
VOTE NOW
untitled – Joao Gabriel
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01 / 33

±MaisMenos±

50 ao Largo   image

±MaisMenos±

50 ao Largo 
Dimension: 41x28x6cm
Medium: Marble, spraypaint, glass, iron, water and carnations  
02 / 33

José Pedro Cortes

A Room before a Window image

José Pedro Cortes

A Room before a Window
Dimension: 150x100cm  
Medium: Photography (Inkjet Print)  
03 / 33

Marcelo Moscheta

Ambulare #7 image

Marcelo Moscheta

Ambulare #7
Dimension: 100 x 135 x 10 cm  
Medium: Mineral pigmented print on cotton paper mounted on aluminium, wood, graphite on PVC board, iron and sedimentary stone (xisto)  
04 / 33

Diana Costa

Circles of Reality and Transformation image

Diana Costa

Circles of Reality and Transformation
Dimension: 84×120 cm
Medium: Pintura: Acrílico e colagem sobre tela (Painting: Acrylic and collage on canvas)
05 / 33

Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf

Banquet image

Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf

Banquet
Dimension: 100 x 130 cm  
Medium: Vinyl, acrylic, and oil paint on aluminium 
06 / 33

Wasted Rita

cure my S.A.D. 2 image

Wasted Rita

cure my S.A.D. 2
Dimension: 65 x 95cm
Medium: Embroidered linen  
07 / 33

Conceição Abreu

Da série (ins.tan.tâ.ne. os) image

Conceição Abreu

Da série (ins.tan.tâ.ne. os)
Dimension: 120×120 cm  
Medium: Photography and Drawing Wax pencils on Photography on cotton paper.  
08 / 33

Paulo Arraiano

Deepwaters (a4) image

Paulo Arraiano

Deepwaters (a4)
Dimension: 42 x 18 x 17 cm
Medium: Glass
09 / 33

Isabel Sabino

Different lights image

Isabel Sabino

Different lights
Dimension: 100×150 cm  
Medium: Painting, mixed technique acrylics and oil
10 / 33

Dalila Gonçalves

Dream Speakers   image

Dalila Gonçalves

Dream Speakers  
Dimension: 21x106x14cm  
Medium: Sculpture
11 / 33

Francisco Trêpa

Dripping Stage image

Francisco Trêpa

Dripping Stage
Dimension: 148x40x40cm  
Medium: sculpture (ceramics with a metal structure)
12 / 33

Rita GT

Dumping series   image

Rita GT

Dumping series  
Dimension: 84×59 cm 
Medium: Photography  
13 / 33

AnaMary Bilbao

Frame Collision (2) image

AnaMary Bilbao

Frame Collision (2)
Dimension: 72 x 72 cm  
Medium: Gum bichromate print on paper 300gr
14 / 33

Maria Luísa Capela

If I knew how to pray, I would know how to live   image

Maria Luísa Capela

If I knew how to pray, I would know how to live  
Dimension: 76 x 56 cm
Medium: Painting
15 / 33

Nuno Sousa Vieira

Imitar o andar 1   image

Nuno Sousa Vieira

Imitar o andar 1  
Dimension: 111,5x86x9cm 
Medium: Left rubber sole from the SIMALA studio, industrial line for shoes  
16 / 33

Ana Pais Oliveira

O problema da habitação   image

Ana Pais Oliveira

O problema da habitação  
Dimension: 115×83 cm
Medium: Mixed media on Offset Cardboard  
17 / 33

Clara Imbert

Orgueil   image

Clara Imbert

Orgueil  
Dimension: 45x60cm
Medium: Photography, UV printing on stainless steel
18 / 33

RUI MACEDO

PACKAGE_PAINTING image

RUI MACEDO

PACKAGE_PAINTING
Dimension: 80x96cm  
Medium: painting _ OIL AND ACRYLIC ON PLYWOOD
19 / 33

Mário Lopes

PAPAVER ARCA image

Mário Lopes

PAPAVER ARCA
Dimension: 123 x 123 x 6cm
Medium: Poppies, plywood, wood, acrilyc.
20 / 33

Adriana Molder

Petite Camusette   image

Adriana Molder

Petite Camusette  
Dimension: 102 x 130 x 4 cm
Medium: Oil and oil pastel, canvas, paper and modelling paste, and leather strings, nails 
21 / 33

Paulo Mendes

Porto, chair on the stairs Porto, cadeira na escada   image

Paulo Mendes

Porto, chair on the stairs Porto, cadeira na escada  
Dimension: 100×67 cm
Medium: Photography  
22 / 33

Ana Cardoso

Recurrent Thoughts, 2023-2024 image

Ana Cardoso

Recurrent Thoughts, 2023-2024
Dimension: 68 x 158 x 3 cm
Medium: Painting Acrylic, oil and oil pastel on linen and cotton canvas  
23 / 33

João Alexandrino – JAS

run rabbit run  image

João Alexandrino – JAS

run rabbit run 
Dimension: 150x120x4cm 
Medium: Acrylic, Oil, charcoal on canvas 
24 / 33

Rodrigo Oliveira

Searching for utopia (current state/ LC Villa Savoye) image

Rodrigo Oliveira

Searching for utopia (current state/ LC Villa Savoye)
Dimension: 144x97cm  
Medium: Photo Rag 308gr print. – Hahnemuhle measuring approximately 77cmx124cm, profile pine 3x8cm with dark stain, box in white PVC 5mm, glued on 5mm white PVC, frame with reinforcement, 4mm acrylic glass with painted passe-partout
25 / 33

Juliana Julieta

Spillovers  image

Juliana Julieta

Spillovers 
Dimension: 101 x 110 x 3 cm  
Medium: oil on canvas
26 / 33

Rogério da Silva

The Balcony   image

Rogério da Silva

The Balcony  
Dimension: 90 x 67 cm
Medium: Pastel powder and eraser on multiple papers
27 / 33

Maja Escher

tronco, ramo, galho, arco, caule, rede   image

Maja Escher

tronco, ramo, galho, arco, caule, rede  
Dimension: 70x140x10 cm 
Medium: Ceramics  
28 / 33

Pedro Barateiro

Underwater Scene image

Pedro Barateiro

Underwater Scene
Dimension: 120x150cm
Medium: Gouache and graphite pencil on paper  
29 / 33

Susana Piteira

Untitled 1# (from the Lux Series) Wall sculpture   image

Susana Piteira

Untitled 1# (from the Lux Series) Wall sculpture  
Dimension: 11X98X13.5 cm  
Medium: Wall sculpture in marble stone  
30 / 33

Jaime Silva

Untitled, 2023 House of Words III (Series)   image

Jaime Silva

Untitled, 2023 House of Words III (Series)  
Dimension: 92 x73 cm
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
31 / 33

Tomek Sadurski

Theorem 7  image

Tomek Sadurski

Theorem 7 
Dimension: 83 x 103 x 4 
Medium: acrylic painting on heavy brown paper 
32 / 33

Luísa Jacinto

from the series Strangers, X  image

Luísa Jacinto

from the series Strangers, X 
Dimension: 150 x 140 x 2 cm 
Medium: Synthetic rubber, wood, polyester threads, resin
33 / 33

joão Gabriel

untitled -  Joao Gabriel image

joão Gabriel

untitled – Joao Gabriel
Dimension: 120 x 80 cm
Medium: oil on canvas  
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Thanks for voting!

SPAP 1 Key Dates mobile image

Key Dates

Entry Deadline

— 14 June 2024

Shortlist Announcement

— October 2024

Finalists Exhibition

— November 2024

Winner Announcement

— November 2024

Judges

Cassio Markowski image
Cassio Markowski
Artist, Winner of The 2023 Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize
Cassio Markowski image

Cassio Markowski

Artist, Winner of The 2023 Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize

I work mainly with across drawing and painting, besides exploring video and installation as means of expansion of my practice. From a documentation process on different sociocultural aspects of Afro-Brazilian history and the African diaspora, I go in search of archives, image banks and flea markets, where I gather old botany manuals, family photographs and magazine images to build and present a particular and a magic visual universe. In this particular world, nature emerges as a metaphor for harmony, healing and transformation. This imaginary universe, simultaneously autobiographical, fictional, political and poetic, merges my personal memories, full of symbolism and religious syncretism with collective experiences and traumas. Through multi-layered , which simultaneously evoke fauna and flora, historical realities, collective aspirations and inner visions, sparks a important perception on the human relationship with nature and the living world at large.

David Elliott image
David Elliott
Writer, Curator and Museum Director
David Elliott image

David Elliott

Writer, Curator and Museum Director

David Elliott is a cultural and art historian, writer, curator and museum director primarily concerned with modern and contemporary art. Elliott was Director of the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford, England from 1976-96, Director of Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden from 1996-2001, the founding Director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan from 2001-06, the first Director of Istanbul Modern, Turkey in 2007 and from 2016-2019, Vice-Director and Senior Curator of the Redtory Museum of Contemporary Art in Guangzhou. From 1998-2004, he was President of CIMAM (the International Committee of ICOM for Museums and Collections of Modern Art) and in 2008, the Rudolf Arnheim Guest Professor of Art History at Humboldt University, Berlin; from 2012 to 2017 he was a guest professor in curatorship at the Chinese University, Hong Kong. Since 2010. He has been the Artistic Director of biennales of contemporary art in Sydney, Kiev, Moscow and Belgrade and is currently working freelance as a writer and curator.

João Paulo Queiroz image
João Paulo Queiroz
President of the Board of the Sociedade Nacional de Belas Arte
João Paulo Queiroz image

João Paulo Queiroz

President of the Board of the Sociedade Nacional de Belas Arte

João Paulo Queiroz holds a PhD in Fine Arts from the University of Lisbon, an MA in Communications from the University Institute of Lisbon, and a BA in Painting from the Escola Superior de Belas-Artes de Lisboa. He is a Professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Lisbon, in the PhD courses in Art Education of the University of Porto, and PhD in Arts of the University of Seville, Spain. Queiroz acted as coordinator for the International Congress CSO annually from 2010 to 2022 and of the academic journals Studio, Gama, and Croma. From 2012 to 2022, he coordinated the Congress Raw Material, Practices of Visual Arts in Basic and Secondary Education annually. He currently serves as President of the Board of Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes (SNBA, National Society of Fine Arts). He has held several solo exhibitions and was awarded the Gustavo Cordeiro Ramos Painting Prize by the National Academy of Fine Arts in 2004.

Maura Marvão image
Maura Marvão
Head of Phillips in Portugal and Spain
Maura Marvão image

Maura Marvão

Head of Phillips in Portugal and Spain

Marvão has a Law degree from Universidade Católica Portuguesa and a Masters in Arts Administration from New York University. She worked at the United Nations and at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York and is the representative in Portugal and Spain of Phillips Auction House. Marvão coordinates a postgraduate course in Markets and Art Collections at Escola das Artes – UCP, is a member of the Advisory Board of Escola das Artes – Universidade Católica Portuguesa, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Youth Foundation with responsibility for culture and founder of the Portuguese Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington.

Philippe Vergne image
Philippe Vergne
Director of Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto
Philippe Vergne image

Philippe Vergne

Director of Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto

Philippe Vergne has been serving as director of Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto, since April 2019. He was director of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) from 2014 to 2018. Prior to his appointment at MOCA, Vergne served for five years as director of the Dia Art Foundation, New York. Before his tenure at the Dia Foundation, Vergne was Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. From 1994 to 1997, Vergne was Director of the MAC, Musée d’Art Contemporain de Marseille, France.

Tim Marlow image
Tim Marlow
Chief Executive and Director, Design Museum
Tim Marlow image

Tim Marlow

Chief Executive and Director, Design Museum

Tim Marlow is Chief Executive and Director of the Design Museum in London.

Formerly Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Arts and Director of Exhibitions at White Cube, Marlow has been involved in the contemporary art world for the past thirty years as a curator, writer and broadcaster.  He has worked with many of the most important and influential artists of our time to deliver wide-ranging and popular programmes and brings a commitment to diverse and engaging exhibitions to his new role showcasing the transformational capability of design.

Marlow sits on the Board of Trustees for the Imperial War Museum, Art on the Underground Advisory Board and Cultureshock Media. Marlow was awarded an OBE in 2019.

Vicente Todolí image
Vicente Todolí
Artistic director of Hangar Bicocc
Vicente Todolí image

Vicente Todolí

Artistic director of Hangar Bicocc

Vicente Todolí was appointed artistic director of Hangar Bicocca (Pirelli Foundation) in May 2012 where he is responsible for the program. Vicente Todolí career in the visual arts spans more than 30 years and includes positions as Chief Curator (1986-88) and then artistic director of the IVAM (Valencian Institute of Modern Art, 1988-1996), before joining the Museum of Contemporary Art Serralves as its founding director in 1996 until 2002. In 2002 he was appointed Director of the Tate Modern by the Trustees of the Tate, where he joined full-time in March 2003 and left in June 2010.

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Limited Edition Print

 

Duende by Jorge Queiroz

Purchase a limited edition print of 2022 Grand Prize Winning artwork, ‘Duende’ by Jorge Queiroz. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Associação SAF.

 

Medium: Inkjet Print, Archival Fine Art Paper (Hahnemühle)

Editions: 33 + 2AP

Price: €3,800

Email art@sovereignartfoundation.com to enquire.

2024 Nominators

Prize Winners and Previous Finalists

2023

Prize Winners and Previous Finalists arrow
Grand Prize Winner
Cássio Markowski
Cássio Markowski art
Public Vote Prize Winner
Leylâ Gediz
Leylâ Gediz art

2022

Prize Winners and Previous Finalists arrow
Grand Prize Winner
Jorge Queiroz
Jorge Queiroz art
Public Vote Prize Winner
Manuela Pimentel
Manuela Pimentel  art