Premios y Colecciones 2023

The SOLO Collection is an international art project based in Madrid whose mission is to promote, support and disseminate contemporary art through collecting and patronage of contemporary art. This creative effort was launched seven years ago by Spanish entrepreneurs Ana Gervás and David Cantolla, resulting in a collection, heterogeneous in technique, of more than 800 works by both national and international artists - among them: Keiichi Tanaami, Kaws, Peter Saul, Ryan Heshka, Laurence Vallieres, Sergio Mora, D*Face or Paco Pomet, among many others. In addition to a strong commitment to emerging talents and digital art.

Winner of the 2022 Award

"15.11.2021" by Iván Forcadell, represented by Badr el Jundi gallery in UVNT 2022.

Winner of the 2021 Award

"Feiticeira II" by Richard Burton, represented at Urvanity 2021 by Lariot Collective.

The MER Collection, with main warehouses in Segovia, is the result of the dedication, perseverance and collecting passion of the married couple formed by Elena Rueda and Marcos Martín Blanco, and their son Rafael Martín - the trio from which the acronym of the collection was born. 

It began in the 1980s and has matured to become one of the most important international private collections in Spain and Europe. Thanks to its efforts to educate its visual culture and its curiosity to study and learn about contemporary art, the MER Collection brings together nearly 800 works with both national and international names, such as Luis Gordillo, Eric Fischl, Lisa Yuskavage, Norbert Bisky, Marilyn Minter, Hugo Crosthwaite, Bill Viola or Miquel Barceló, among many others. 


Winner of the 2022 award

"Tio Hernan" by Studio Lenca & Carlota Pereiro, represented at UVNT 2022 by Arniches 26 gallery.

2021 Award Winner

"Yawn" by Imon Boy, represented at Urvanity 2021 by La Causa Art Gallery.

The Kells Collection was established in 1996, as a result of the approach of Juan Manuel Elizalde and Choli Fuentes to the world of Art. At that time, their interest was focused on artists and works of modern art, mainly in the language of painting and sculpture of the second half of the 10th century: Feito, Saura, Clavé, Sempere, Genovés or Baltasar Lobo, among others.

Since then, the Kells Collection is immersed in a continuous process of growth through the incorporation of new languages such as photography, for which they feel a special passion. As well as video, video-installation, installation, archives and objects of character that are added as means of expression. Conceptually, Juan Manuel and Choli understand collecting as an intense journey of learning and emotions. Currently, the Collection is made up of several hundred works, structured from an eclectic character, reflecting their interests and the themes for which they feel a special affection and sensitivity: language and communication in its various fields occupy an important part in the Collection. 

The Kells Collection takes into account emerging artists such as Kepa Garraza, Guillermo Mora, Blanca Gracia, Clara Sánchez and Miguel Angel Tornero, who are in the process of aesthetic research and formal development, as well as national creators of long trajectory such as Juan Uslé, Carmen Calvo, Esther Ferrer, Angela de la Cruz, and international artists such as Gustav Kramer, Liliana Porter, Sandra Gamarra, Carlos Bunga, Carlos Garaicoa or Maria Loboda. 

Winner of the 2022 award

"ST 02" by Amaya Suberviola, represented by SC Gallery at UVNT 2022.

The Casa de Indias collection is permanently exhibited in Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz, at the Contemporary Art Center that bears its name. It currently includes more than 70 pieces of painting, sculpture and photography, both by established artists such as Marina Abramovic, John Baldessari and Imi Knoebel, as well as emerging and mid-career artists.

Casa de Indias is also developing a non-profit artist-in-residence program that aims to build bridges between new talents and the main distribution channels in contemporary art, as well as to motivate new collectors.

2022 Award Winners

"Fat Chance" by Scout Zabinski, represented at UVNT 2022 by Adhesivo Contemporary gallery.

"Rat" by Miguel Angel Erba, represented at UVNT 2022 by Herrero de Tejada gallery.

S/T by Olga de Dios, represented at UVNT 2022 by Swinton Gallery.

Ceramics by Iván Forcadell, represented at UVNT 2022 by Badr el Jundi. 

2021 Award Winner.

"Valuable" by Johan Deckmann, represented at Urvanity 2021 by Badr El Jundi.

Over the course of more than 40 years, Carmen and Luis Bassat have built up an important collection of works of art, which today constitutes one of the most representative collections of contemporary art made in Catalonia during the second half of the twentieth century.

In 1973, one afternoon, after leaving work, Luis Bassat entered the Adriá Gallery in Barcelona. Three hours later, he had bought the second painting of his life and 35% of the gallery. Over the next seven years, he got to know many of the young Catalan artists of the time personally, visited their studios, took an interest in their work and tried to promote them internationally, taking advantage of his frequent professional trips to New York, which he achieved with Josep Guinovart: three of his works at the Guggenheim Museum, an exhibition of recent work at the Martha Jackson Gallery and an anthological exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum.

From that moment on, his love of art was joined by his love of collecting. The result is a private collection of more than three thousand original works, which since 2010 has begun to be made public in the Museum of Contemporary Art of Mataró, as well as in Bulgaria, Poland, New York and in a number of Spanish cities.

MIA Art Collection is a private collection that seeks to create visibility for the work of women and their artistic projects. The feminist outlook of its founder Alejandra Castro Rioseco, philanthropist and private collector, has motivated the creation of a unique collection that expresses the vision of the woman artist, taking into account the discrimination and gender rights inequalities that women still face.

The collection relies on a multidisciplinary team and a global network to support participation in museums and art fairs, among others. Supporting exhibitions focused on women artists and the role of women in the art world.

In addition, the MIA project promotes education through private and public seminars, workshops and exhibitions worldwide.

Located in Morocco since 2009, the Montresso* Art Foundation is a hybrid place that aims to support creation and promote the diversity of current artistic research fields.

The Jardin Rouge artist residency, created by the Montresso* Art Foundation, has been supporting and accompanying the research of international artists for eleven years. Eight studios welcome around thirty artists per cultural season, in a secluded environment conducive to experimentation and dialogue. Focused on the theme of territories, Jardin Rouge is a creative laboratory where artists benefit from a period of research as well as visibility.

Winner of the 2022 award

Rosh333, represented at UVNT 2022 by Garna Gallery. 

2021 Award Winners

"The Allegory of Man" by Mario Antón, represented at Urvanity 2021 by Lariot Collective.

Elena Rato, represented at Urvanity 2021 by Furiosa Gallery.

Created in 1990, Piramidón is a hybrid space between a creative factory and an art gallery that merges the field of artistic creation with that of diffusion, exhibition and sale. The configuration of the center, made up of eighteen studios and a gallery, allows visitors to get to know the artists and their work in their production environment.

Since its inception, Piramidón has sought to support artists in the face of the instabilities of the art market and the difficulties of finding a work space suited to their needs. The aim is to favor the development of their creative moment by providing them with facilities to develop their artistic career. With this objective, Isidre Bohigas as president and Marc Comerma and Josep Alavedra as advisors, initiated this ambitious and original project in this city, more than twenty years ago. It was at this time that the Piramidón art collection also began.

From its beginnings, the center is based on the promotion and exhibition of contemporary art in its different languages. The aim is to bring contemporary art closer to the general public, both for those who wish to have a first contact with this world and for those who are looking to expand their collection.