Nacha Canvas is the winner of the 5th edition of the Azcuy Award
Buenos Aires, November 3, 2023. AZCUY, a comprehensive Real Estate company, in collaboration with the Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires and the Fundación Azcuy, announced the winner of the 5th edition of the Azcuy Award. The competition jury selected ̈Suave-Star ̈ by Nacha Canvas as the work that will permanently inhabit the developer's new Donna Fiore building, located in the Caballito neighborhood.
The award-winning artist will receive a prize of $10,000 USD from the Azcuy Foundation, in addition to the production costs of her artwork. The national competition, aimed at individual or collective Argentine artists, aims to recognize, disseminate, and encourage local artistic production, promoting the appreciation of national art.
"Suave-Star" by Nacha Canvas is a proposal that explores concrete as a transversal axis. The artist suggests using this element in both architecture and the design of space.
In that sense, the same concrete that gives structure to the building later transforms into a series of sculptures and wall reliefs ranging from the observable and tactile to the utilitarian in a fluid form. The material is worked with a process of air injection through foam, resulting in lightweight structures filled with air bubbles. It is a material investigation as a trigger for thought, associations, and fantasy.
"On a personal level, the project for Azcuy surprises me because I think about how architectural spaces and their materials can trigger new ideas. Concepts and works that I probably wouldn't have imagined otherwise. The specifications of the place and the assignment become bridges to reach new places," stated Nacha Canvas, winner of the 2023 Azcuy Award. She added, "It is very encouraging to work in coordination with the Azcuy and Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires teams, who make their experience and resources available to enhance my proposal," affirms Canvas.
Enrique Avogadro, Minister of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires, highlighted the importance for culture of the Azcuy Award reaching its fifth edition. "It is an award that challenges the way we think about art in the City of Buenos Aires," he said, thanking the artists who participated in the call because they "year after year enhance this award in which many people work virtuously articulating the public and private sectors."
In this edition, more than 200 artists submitted their projects with proposals for artworks specifically designed for the Donna Fiore building of Azcuy, currently under construction. All submissions were evaluated and discussed by the competition jury, which in September selected Nicolás Bacal, "Las líneas paralelas se cruzan en el infinito"; Martín Carrizo, "Algunos planetas arrastrados por la creciente de un río"; Manuel Coll, "La luz de las flores"; Marcolina Dipierro, "Ramificación"; Julián Terán, "La casa del sol," and Nacha Canvas, "Suave-Star," as finalists.
The 2023 jury included Victoria Noorthoorn (Director of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires), Diana Campbell Betancourt (Artistic Director Samdani Art Foundation), Sebastián Gordín (Visual Artist), Adriana Bustos (Visual Artist and winner of the 2020 edition), Jimena Ferreiro (Curator of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires), Sol Juárez (Creative Project and Innovation Manager at AZCUY), and Gerardo Azcuy (Founder and General Director of AZCUY).
"The Award proposes a special dialogue between architecture and the creative ideas of artists, resulting in new scenarios for Argentine art," commented Sol Juárez, Creative Project Manager at AZCUY. She added, "I want to congratulate all the participants for their incredible proposals, especially each of the finalists who delved into their ideas and presented us wonderful works."
"In our company, we aim for innovation and continuous improvement. This led us to bet on this alliance with the Museum, which, after five consecutive years, motivates us to continue providing the opportunity to intervene in our buildings with unique works that merge with architecture," said Gerardo Azcuy, Founder and Director of AZCUY.
Victoria Noorthoorn, Director of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires, stated that the Azcuy Award "is a surpassing award for the Argentine art scene, inviting all artists to submit projects that go beyond their comfort zones. It is transformative because it offers unparalleled development opportunities for artists. We hope it serves as an example for all urban developers in our country. It is a joy to celebrate the continuity of this award that continues to advocate for the integration of art into everyday life. I congratulate all the finalists for their creativity and dedication."
Now in its fifth year and edition, the Award continues to create opportunities for artists from across the country to create works in urban and residential environments, encouraging them to expand their research, explore materials, and scales in dialogue with architecture.
As a way to support participants in this process, each of the finalists was awarded a stimulus prize of $1,000 USD to develop their projects in-depth for presentation and defense before the jury, where the winner was decided.
In its commitment to linking art and architecture, the Azcuy Award offers selected artists the opportunity to visit the building under construction, and the artwork is produced under the artist's direction in dialogue with the company and the Museum. This involves a very particular creative process, where not only the participants' capabilities can be expressed, but also requires an exploration of the spatiality and materiality of the building.
Learn more about the Azcuy Award: www.premioazcuy.com
About AZCUY
AZCUY is a creative real estate company with over thirty years of experience in Argentina dedicated to developing, designing, building, and marketing residential architecture in the Caballito neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Their work aims to achieve the best balance between design and sustainability, focusing on fostering the connection between people and nature, caring for the environment through responsible energy use in their buildings, and generating a positive social and cultural impact on the community.
Committed to the responsible use of resources, attention to detail, and mindful of the possibilities offered by the highest technology and thorough knowledge of materials, AZCUY's projects seek to create quality spaces that ensure a well-being experience over time. AZCUY was founded and is led by architect Gerardo Azcuy, whose commitment to creating the best possible environment for the development of our daily lives encouraged him to initiate the Azcuy Award, selecting quality artistic projects to become an integral and heritage part of the company's developed buildings.
About the Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires
The Museum of Modern Art in Buenos Aires, a public institution under the Ministry of Culture of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires, was created in April 1956 at the initiative of Rafael Squirru, its first director. From its beginnings, the Moderno has been an avant-garde museum, a true home for Argentine artists, and a space dedicated to promoting the latest productions of all artistic disciplines. Located in the San Telmo neighborhood, the Moderno Museum exhibits its collection of modern and contemporary art, produces temporary exhibitions of national and foreign artists, whether individual or group, and establishes a strong connection with the community through an intense program of educational and cultural activities for diverse audiences.
About the Azcuy Foundation
The Azcuy Foundation seeks to build a better society by carrying out small and large actions. The goal is to contribute to the well-being of society through architecture, art, urban planning, social responsibility, and environmental care, interacting with public and private entities that share Azcuy's values.
Read more news about the Azcuy Foundation at CIMAM:
→ CIMAM celebrates the inauguration of the winning work of the third edition of the Azcuy Award (July 2023)
→ The Azcuy Foundation supports the Argentine artistic community (March 2023)
→ Welcome interview to Azcuy Foundation as new CIMAM Major Patrons (October 2022).