Damaris Pan wins the 39th edition of the Premio BMW de Pintura. BMW Group celebrates forty years of commitment and support for culture and art in Spain.

• The ceremony was held at the Teatro Real in Madrid and, as on previous occasions, was presided over by Her Majesty Queen Sofía, who reaffirmed her commitment to the development of artistic talent in Spain.
• Queen Sofía was accompanied by a large group of representatives of European embassies in Spain, such as Germany, Greece, Sweden, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, and Slovakia, among others.
• The artistic celebration into a symbolic act of solidarity and commitment, which is why it has made an extraordinary contribution of 500.000 euros to the Queen Sofía Foundation for the victims of the DANA, in addition to the additional donation of 25.000 euros linked to the annual concert, which this year will go to the Food Bank to support children's food needs in the most affected areas.
• BMW Group Spain provided an electric car service as part of the VIP programme to ensure more sustainable mobility for guests and collectors in the capital.

Madrid. The Biscayan artist Damaris Pan has won the 39th edition of the Premio BMW de Pintura for her work ‘All monsters are human II’. In the Digital Art category, now in its third year, the prize went to the artist from León, Serafín Álvarez Prieto, for his audiovisual work ‘Spell’. In an edition that has been marked by the memory of the victims of the DANA, solidarity and fraternity have been the axis around which the whole gala, presided by Her Majesty Queen Sofía, has revolved. The presentation was followed by a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony by the Orquesta de Radio y Televisión Española, a work that represents the values of fraternity and brotherhood, with the introduction and words of the actress and film director Paz Vega. A large representation of diplomats from European countries attended the event, given its content and purpose, dedicated to brotherhood between nations.

The jury, composed by prominent art professionals such as the internationally renowned painter and sculptor Antonio López, the director of the Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, formerly director of the Museo del Prado, Miguel Zugaza, the founder and president of the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Patrizia Sandretto, the artistic director of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, Guillermo Solana, and the director of the Carasso Foundation, Lucía Casani, selected the two winners in a year that saw record participation with over 1.700 artists.

This year BMW Group Spain turned the artistic celebration into a symbolic act of solidarity and commitment, and made an extraordinary contribution of 500.000 euros to the Queen Sofía Foundation for the victims of the DANA, in addition to the additional donation of 25.000 euros linked to the annual concert, which this year will go to the Food Bank to support children's food needs in the most affected areas. According to the President of the BMW Group in Spain and Portugal, Manuel Terroba, "this catastrophe has put our values to the test as an immense generosity has made its way through multiple gestures that show tireless energy, dedication and most important of all, hope. Hope in human beings because most of this wave of solidarity was made up of young people, many of them students, who did not hesitate to exchange their books for a shovel and a rake to lend a hand”.

The ceremony was held at the Teatro Real in Madrid and, as on previous occasions, was presided over by Her Majesty Queen Sofía, who reaffirmed her commitment to the development of artistic talent in Spain. Queen Sofía was accompanied by a large group of representatives of European embassies in Spain, given the content and purpose of the Gala. Among the diplomats present were representatives of nations such as Germany, Greece, Sweden, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia, among others.

During the gala, the President of the BMW Group in Spain and Portugal, Manuel Terroba, emphasised that the “Premio BMW de Pintura continues consolidating its position as an international benchmark, with the participation of 39 different nationalities. This shows that this award is positioning itself as a global showcase for contemporary art, an art that transcends borders. More and more artists are finding in these awards a platform to show their work to the world”.

This year, the Premio BMW de Pintura reached an all-time high in terms of participation, with more than 1.700 artists from 39 nationalities. Particularly noteworthy was the increase in the representation of women, accounting almost 45% of the participants, reflecting the growing diversity and richness of perspectives that enrich the contemporary art scene.

Musical tribute to the fraternity 
As is tradition, the evening included a moving musical tribute under the concept of SinfonIA, representing harmony in an ever-changing world. The event was presented by the actress and film director Paz Vega and was conducted by the RTVE Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Christoph König. The BMW Group chose for the occasion a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, a work symbolising brotherhood and hope, and a tribute to solidarity. Those attending the gala, along with the finalist artists, were privileged to enjoy the captivating voices of the RTVE Choir, which accompanied the orchestra of more than 160 artists. The show was enhanced by an exceptional group of soloists, including soprano Jone Martínez, mezzo-soprano Cristina Faus, tenor Airam Hernández and baritone Ferrán Albrich, who brought their talent and emotion to this memorable performance.

The Works
Winner of the 39th BMW Painting Prize
Damaris Pan ‘All monsters are Human II’ (Vizcaya, 1983): The winning work is a piece that forms part of group of works in which the artist explores the connection between the monstrous and the human, focusing on materiality and the tension between the elements of the composition to provoke an immediate visual impact that defies pre-established categorizations. 

BMW Digital Art Prize
Serafín Álvarez Prieto “Spell” (León 1985): this piece invites the spectator to a dreamlike world where the limits of time and space are blurred in a surrealist environment full of magic and absurdity.

Finalists
The rest of this year's finalists were Juan Fernández Álava, with his work ‘BIG RITA’; Amaya Suberviola with ‘ST24035’; Víctor González with ‘Intro’; Cecilia Sebastián de Erice Hünerberg with ‘Alfabeto en el espacio’; Taxio Ardanaz Ruiz with ‘Mendia eta Gaua/ Montaña y noche’; Gabriela Bettini Loyarte with ‘Cut Forest with an Old Fig Tree’ and Daniel de la Barra with ‘Design for a Tablecloth’.

The finalists in the Digital Art category are Manolo Bautista with ‘Behaviours’; Fermín Sales Segarra with ‘El Maestrat Filmat’ and Elisa Villota Sadaba with ‘The regal light’.

Since its creation in 1986, the Premio BMW de Pintura has evolved along with the Spanish art scene, consolidating itself as one of the most prestigious awards in the country. With almost 40 years of history, over than 27,000 artists have participated in this competition, which has adapted to new trends and reaffirms the BMW Group's commitment to contemporary forms of artistic expression, including the digital sphere.

This edition was the prelude to the celebration of an important anniversary: forty years of commitment and support for culture and art in our country by the BMW Group.