The illy SustainArt Prize at ARCOmadrid is part of the platform www.illySustainArt.org, a project born in 2007 aimed at spreading among the international art community the approach of the illycaffè company toward sustainable growth, along with the specific intention of promoting exchanges among artists and curators of the international contemporary art world. Through its digital platform, artists can submit their works for the consideration of a panel of renowned experts including: Carlos Basualdo, Gerardo Mosquera and Michelangelo Pistoletto.
The winners of this edition, French artist Julia Rometti and Ecuadorian Victor Costales, were selected for the section Solo Projects: Focus Latin America at ARCO by an international jury formed by João Fernandes, Deputy-director of Conservation, Research and Diffusion at the the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía; Jesús Carrillo, Head of Cultural Programing of the Department of Public Activities at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía; and Carlo Bach, Art Director at illycaffè.
The members of the jury recognized the anthropological work of fiction entitled El Anarquismo Mágico (Magical Anarchism). This pair of nomads has been collaborating since 2007 as they play the role of self-taught archeologists and tourists that develop vast research across desserts, tropical forests, gardens, and highways. They venture into vast fields of knowledge that range from literature and history to certain areas of scientific thought. The point of departure for this work was the encounter between an expatriated anarchist in the Bolivian forest and a semi-nomadic indigenous community from the Amazonia. The jury pointed to the two opposing perspectives from which the work was approached; the rationality of Rometti and the emotionalism of Costales.
Presented by Carlos Urroz, Director of ARCO, and Carlo Bach, Art Director of illycaffè, the award ceremony was held on February 15. The artists were awarded a purse of 15,000 euros and the chance to create a collection of cups for the famous illycaffè Art Collection. There are already several versions of cups designed by contemporary artists.
The ill SustainArt Prize was established in 2008 at ARCO. Its first edition recognized the work of young Brazilian artist Matheus Rocha-Pitta. On its second edition in 2009, the Prize went to Avinash Veeraraghavan, one of the emerging young talents from Indida. The 2010 edition recognized Mexican artist Camilo Ontiveros; and in 2011, a Brazilian once again took the Prize, this time it was young artist André Komatsu. The last edition of the Prize took place in 2012 and the recognition was given to Chilean artist Voluspa Jarpa.