The Deputy Minister of Culture, Andoni Iturbe, announced today the recipients of the Gure Artea 2026 awards, the most significant accolades in the plastic and visual arts in Euskadi. The jury's decision recognizes: Itziar Okariz (artistic career), Beatriz Olabarrieta (creative activity), and Kampai Espazioa (activity of agents in plastic and visual arts).
The awards ceremony will be held on October 28th at Tabakalera in Donostia-San Sebastián. The winners will each receive 20,000 euros. The jury comprised Catalina Lozano Moreno (president), and Ane Abalde Amezaga, Jon Mikel Euba Arrue, Josu Bilbao Ugalde, and Miriam Alzuri Milanes.
Deputy Minister Andoni Iturbe highlighted that this year's awardees "are an example of a diverse, solid, and time-connected Basque art system." He also stated that "contemporary art is a fundamental tool for us to think about ourselves as a society and project an open, plural, and dynamic identity to the world." He emphasized the international trajectory of Okariz and Olabarrieta, as well as Kampai Espazioa's role in "strengthening the local artistic ecosystem," reaffirming public institutions' commitment to supporting creation, research, and cultural agents.
“"Contemporary art is a fundamental tool for us to think about ourselves as a society and project an open, plural, and dynamic identity to the world."
Itziar Okariz (Donostia, 1965) receives the award for artistic career recognition. The jury acknowledges "one of the most solid and influential careers to emerge from the Basque artistic context in recent decades." Through performances, actions, videos, installations, and text pieces, she has spent over thirty-five years developing artistic research focused on the relationships between architecture, territory, body, ritual, sexuality, and language.
Beatriz Olabarrieta (Bilbao, 1979) is awarded the prize for creative activity. The jury values her artistic practice as "an experimental field where objects and materials acquire a special sensitivity towards the situations they are placed in," characterized by an "intuitive and relational" approach.
Kampai Espazioa, a self-managed space located in Bilbao, has received the award for activity by agents in the plastic and visual arts. The jury specifically recognizes its "work in support of contemporary creation," particularly in the fields of performing arts, performance, and visual arts.
