EON Reality’s not-for profit arm, Learn for Life Foundation is excited to announce its lead sponsorship of the inaugural Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize.

Set to be the biggest annual art prize in the country, the Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize will celebrate and showcase the work of leading contemporary artists. 30 artists have been shortlisted from over 200 artists nominated for the Prize by a panel of independent art professionals.

This year’s judging panel features Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian and activist Ai Wei Wei, who now lives in Portugal, and Portuguese visual artist Joana Vasconcelos, who is renowned for her monumental sculptures. 

The competition will culminate in an exhibition tour of 30 shortlisted artists, starting at Palacio des Artes in Porto (13-30 April 2022), before moving to Sociedade Nacional de Belas-Artes in Lisbon  (24 May- 13 June) and the Museu Berardo in Estremoz (22 June – 15 August ), followed by a further exhibition in the Algarve at a venue to be confirmed.

A Grand Prize of €25,000 will be awarded to the finalist whose work receives the highest score from the judging panel. The artist whose work proves the most popular with the public will also be recognised with a Public Vote Prize of €2,000. Public votes will be collected online and at the exhibitions. Full details on Prize schedule, nomination and entry process, list of nominators and terms and conditions are available on the SAF website.

The shortlisted artworks will then be auctioned with the aim of raising significant funds to be split equally between SAF and the participating artists. SAF will use these funds to develop expressive arts programmes aimed at supporting disadvantaged children in Portugal. Through similar projects, including its coveted Sovereign Asian Art Prize, SAF has raised over US$10 million for artists and charitable organisations worldwide.

“Since its inception, the Learn for Life Foundation has been dedicated to promoting the use of diverse technologies such as augmented and virtual reality to help unlock the potential and creative expression of the next generation, especially for those who need it most”,  Anna Lejerskar, President of the Learn for Life Foundation explains.

“Today, we are honored to have this incredible opportunity to join forces with the Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize to celebrate the central role of art in learning, dreaming, inspiring and most importantly, helping young people to succeed.”