The highest representative of the provincial institution, Salvador Fuentes, highlighted the artist's Cordoban origin, emphasizing the importance of supporting local creators regardless of where they develop their careers. Fuentes stated that the Provincial Council and the Fundación Botí have the responsibility to accompany them and foster their connection with Córdoba.
Fuentes added that artistic vocations are born from talent and trust, and that the Provincial Council has been working for three years to promote new creators through grants, awards, contests, residencies, and exhibitions. He recalled that the provincial institution has supported young Cordoban artists since the late 19th century, fostering careers such as those of Tomás Muñoz Lucena and Mateo Inurria.
For his part, the Delegate of Culture, Gabriel Duque, explained that the awarded work, I will wake up when someone wakes me up, poses a reflection on the permanent search for who we want to become and demonstrates a mature and personal artistic vision, alluding to an entire generation.
The Emerging Young Creators Contest Loyola Andalucía University, launched in 2019, has strengthened its institutional relationship with the Fundación Provincial de Artes Plásticas Rafael Botí. The Foundation participates in awarding prizes and acquiring works by artists born in or linked to the province of Córdoba, which then become part of its pictorial collections.
In previous editions, the Fundación Botí Special Prize was awarded to Celeste Fernández Moncada for Handwritten Poem and to Laura Jing Ortiz for Entre paredes. The 2026 edition received 123 submissions, with 24 resulting as finalists.
