BRAVA 

Awards

Painting 2026

The BRAVA Awards were created with the purpose of stimulating artistic creation, discovering new talent, and giving visibility to the voices shaping the future of the Arts. Through this initiative, Fundación BRAVA seeks to create meaningful opportunities for emerging artists while bringing new perspectives, ideas, and ways of interpreting the world through art to society.

Dedicated to the medium of painting, the open call invites young artists between the ages of 19 and 30 to submit one artwork. More than a competition, the BRAVA Awards aim to provide a platform for discovering exceptional talent that, due to a lack of resources or opportunities, has not yet had the chance to gain recognition. This initiative is driven not only by a commitment to supporting these artists, but also by the value that young artistic excellence brings to society, fostering a model of cultural circular economy.

In this way, each artwork and each artist become an active part of a virtuous cycle, helping to generate recurring opportunities in return for the awards received and the support provided to their individual artistic careers.

A decentralized model in service of art

Fundación BRAVA operates through a decentralized structure, making the cultural ecosystem more agile and avoiding the rigidity and fixed costs associated with traditional infrastructure. This model allows us to dedicate 100% of our resources to what truly matters: identifying emerging talent, funding international artist residencies, and creating tangible opportunities for artists.

The only official channels for inquiries are: info@fundacionbrava.org and art@fundacionbrava.org

Applications are free of charge and 100% digital.

Awards and benefits

USD 15,000 in prizes and two fully funded eight-week international artist residencies.

The awards ceremony will take place at Locanda Cipriani, Punta del Este, Uruguay, on January 3, 2027.

Following the ceremony, the winning artworks will be featured in an international traveling exhibition throughout 2027, with confirmed destinations in Argentina, Spain, and Andorra.

International jury

Patricia Bentancur (Uruguay), Mora Bacal (Argentina), Chus Martínez (Switzerland), Lu Liang (China), and Ionit Behar (United States).

Who can participate?

The open call is aimed at emerging artists aged 19 to 30 inclusive as of the application deadline, regardless of personal, social, religious, or geographical background. Applicants should be actively committed to developing their artistic practice and be at the early stages of their careers.

Fundación BRAVA is particularly committed to providing resources, support, and opportunities to artists who, due to their circumstances, face financial barriers to professional development. Within this framework, the quality, originality, and potential of each artwork will be taken into consideration.

During the final evaluation, the jury will consider the context in which each artist develops their practice, their artistic production to date, its coherence and evolution, the resources and opportunities available to them, and the potential for their future artistic development.

International Jury