The Ateneo de Madrid, a jewel of the Paisaje de la Luz and cradle of great cultural movements, witnessed an unforgettable gala on June 5: the Tartget Prize 2025 awards ceremony. This international competition for figurative and contemporary painting, in its first edition, has exceeded expectations and established itself as one of the major events in today’s art scene.
More than 350 attendees—including artists, critics, sponsors, and cultural and political figures—filled the majestic Cátedra Mayor, which warmly welcomed nearly 100 selected artists from 1,900 submissions across 85 countries. The evening, hosted with warmth and professionalism by renowned communicator Lorena Berdún, featured moments of deep emotion, inspiring speeches, and a memorable musical interlude by concert trumpeter Manuel Blanco (soloist of the ONE) and pianist Margarita Kozlovska.
A Contest Born in La Mancha, Recognized Worldwide
The gala also celebrated a dream come true. The jury, composed of 29 international experts, awarded the absolute winner (Gold Tartget, €12,000) to Hispano-Peruvian artist Marcos Rey for his work El Ramo, described as “the perfect synthesis of technical mastery and narrative depth.” The artist, speaking from his studio in Arequipa, thanked via video “the trust of Tartget Prize and all the artists who, from the solitude of their studios, still believe in art as a universal language.”
The second and third prizes went to Macedonian artist Sinisha S. Kashawelski (Silver Tartget, €6,000) and Spanish artist Julián Maroto Fernández (Bronze Tartget, €4,000). Completing the podium was Aragonese artist Rosana Larraz, who received the Fusion Tartget for her original dialogue between abstraction and European tradition.
A World-Class Event with a Manchego Soul
The competition, driven by Daimiel natives Juan Francisco Gómez Cambronero, José Luis Sánchez Montañés, and Ismael Terriza, has managed to attract artists from five continents, placing Spain—and specifically La Mancha—on the global map of contemporary painting. During his speech, Cambronero emphasized the “ambitious, open, and rigorous” nature of the project: “If we had wanted to do the same as always, we would have stayed still.”
Clementina Díez de Baldeón, vice president of the Ateneo’s art section, opened the event, praising the initiative as “a cultural achievement that honors Castilla-La Mancha and projects art from its roots to the world.”
Exhibition Open Until June 13 – Next Stop: Daimiel
The Top 100 Tartget Prize exhibition, housed in the Anselma and Lafón Halls of the Ateneo de Madrid, will remain open to the public until Friday, June 13. It features works from 24 countries, covering all competition categories: from natural landscapes and portraits to conceptual pieces, fantasy, and contemporary still life.
But the adventure doesn’t end here. The competition will travel to Daimiel on June 26, where the exhibition “Tartget Prize en La Mancha” will open with an event featuring prominent figures such as landscape artist Fermín García Sevilla and Emilio Gil, president of the Ateneo’s art section.
As co-founder Ismael Terriza stated at the gala: “This time, Daimiel is not just taking the baton—this summer, it will become the epicenter of a new way of seeing, valuing, and promoting 21st-century painting.”
UPCOMING EVENTS:
• Top 100 Exhibition: Until June 13, Anselma & Lafón Halls at the Ateneo
• Tartget Prize en La Mancha: June 26, Casino de la Armonía & Casa de Cultura de Daimiel
PRESS CONTACT:
Ismael Terriza Reguillos // @terrizareguillos
dircom@tartgetpaintingprize.com
