ESPRONCEDA, Institute of Art & Culture.

EncontrArte (ESPRONCEDA – Institute of Art & Culture), was founded in 2013 to create an innovative platform for artistic and cultural research that could produce social impact and social change in society. Its mission is to provide a multidisciplinary environment for promoting international dialogue between artists, curators, critics, gallerists, collectors, culture managers, scientists, diplomats, academics across Europe and worldwide, allowing them to collaborate for the best cultural and social solutions. The pillars of EncontrArte philosophy are the interconnection between art, culture, science, and society aimed at the creation of new alliances, and to actively contribute to the implementation of the 2030 agenda. Our commitment and contribution to the art and cultural world are activated through the organization of art and cultural residencies, exhibitions, workshops, webinars, symposiums that embrace various contemporary themes in partnership with different local and European partners. The methodology is based on a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach that encompasses the visual and new media arts, performing arts, music, and theatre, and is based on the concept of creating solidarity and tapping into humanity across all races, cultures, and backgrounds. Since the creation of EncontrArte, artists from around the world with no age limit have been hosted. Our activities are divided as follows. A department dedicated to the enhancement of new emerging talents thanks to the creation of Art Awards with various partners, such as Arte Laguna Prize (Venice, Italy), Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Brussels, Belgium), and Swab Art Fair (Barcelona, Spain). A Residence for emerging and recognized artists, allowing a period of research and production that ends with a final exhibition with the awareness of the importance of helping different personalities enjoy in our space. Each exhibition covers different kinds of sectors from the social to the scientific world, with artists working in different disciplines; in addition, we also offer a curatorial program for emerging curators, to allow young talents to deal with the best artistic practices. A cultural program that provides the organization of round tables, symposium, and workshops on various social, political, economic issues in connection with the world of art and culture and open to a wider audience to give the opportunity also to the local communities to participate and get closer to the world of art and to contribute to the dissemination of important issues. The organization of cultural activities has a dual objective: on the one hand to open a dialogue on issues of crucial importance that place art and the role of artists in society at the center of the discussion to create new alliances and critical thinking, and on the other hand to offer the public of Barcelona the opportunity to get to know the contemporary artistic and cultural production. We also have a program on the collaboration with international projects in the field of education, social change, and sustainability in Europe and abroad, with the collaboration with the Terzo Paradiso projects by Michelangelo Pistoletto and Cittadellarte, and the International Peace project Kids-Guernica inspired by the work of Picasso. Thanks to the IMMENSIVA project, another department is working on connecting art to new advanced technologies (VR, AR, AI…) to explore new future fields of innovation. We believe it is essential to create alliances on the local territory through an exchange of know-how, knowledge, and dialogue to implement the vision of the 2030 agenda. Our contribution to the world of art and culture is also given by our participation in international conferences and debates to carry on our example, our experience acquired over the years, thanks to our partners, and as members of ENCATC, STARTS, etc… Finally thanks to the collaboration with our partners around the world as ENCATC, STARTS (Science, Technology & Arts), Goethe Institute, Terzo Paradiso, Cittadellarte, Kids-Guernica, UCA University of Creative Arts, Rome University of Fine Art, Academie Reial de Bruxelles, Barcelona Academy of Art, Ars Electronica, Cannes XR festival, Venice VR Festival, XR Center of Helsinki and others, we could spread all our events and we could provide good dissemination and communication at Local, National and International level. Each year we receive more than 1800 local and international visitors, 14,000 are our direct followers on all our social channels 1848 the subscribers to our newsletter 17,859 are the visitors on our youtube channel 79 were and are our local, national, and international partners and sponsors. Moreover, for these followers, we have to add the number of people involved thanks to the European projects in which we are involved as partners.

In order to achieve the goals set since the birth of Encontrarte, the main activities have been divided according to this criterion: ART PRIZES Over the years EncontrArte has created an international, local and European network, and thanks to the collaborations it has become a partner of art awards, offering the artists a research and production grant, a final exhibition to be spent in Barcelona for 5 weeks. The awards are accompanied by round tables and webinars, to make the local area dialogue with Europe and the whole world. Arte Laguna Prize, Venice, ARBA-ESA – Espronceda Prize, Swab – Espronceda Prize, Barcelona, IMMENSIVA VR/AI Prize, Royal College of Art London – Espronceda Prize, Rome University of Fine Arts – Rufa, Roma, Vera Brant Prize, Brasil. https://www.espronceda.net/es/art-prizes/ ART EXHIBITIONS The organizational model of EncontrArte provides not only an artist’s residence but also the organization of a final exhibition to allow the artists to show their work. We also host exhibitions in collaborations with our partners, outside of the artist’s residences. Over the last few years, we have produced approximately 130 exhibitions. (https://www.espronceda.net/events/). RESIDENCY PROGRAM FOR ARTISTS The artist residencies include both the award-winning artists, the artists of the EncontrArte Open Calls, the artists of the Open Calls with our partners, the artists of Immensiva, and the artists in collaborations with galleries. Approximately 250 artists have been hosted, from 2013 to today, all with a research and production grant. (https://www.espronceda.net/artists/) CONFERENCES, SYMPOSIUM, and WORKSHOPS From 2013 to 2020 our association has organized, on average, 60 culture events, through an interdisciplinary approach on social, innovation, and artistic topics. (https://www.espronceda.net/category/workshops/). The last project launched by EncontrArte is the Salon of Espronceda – Talk with a Special Guest, with the label of ENCATC (European Network for Culture Police and Management), born during the Covid-19 organizing webinars from May to December 2020 on different topics by inviting experts and special guests across the world. https://www.espronceda.net/the-salon-of-espronceda/. IMMENSIVA Platform IMMENSIVA is an international platform for artists and creatives working with advanced technologies such as VR, AR, AI, sensors, and many others. The project has created a different collaboration with international Universities, Art centers, R&D institutions, International Galleries, Foundations for innovation, and Digital Festivals. https://www.immensiva.com/ SOCIAL CHANGE, EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM With the coordination of the Ambassador of the Third Paradise and the international coordinator of Kids Guernica, we have collaborated on more than 100 workshops with more than 2000 young people and children. In particular with schools, local festivals for the creation of a community sensitive to the importance of collaborating to implement Agenda 2030. https://www.espronceda.net/social-change-education/ https://www.espronceda.net/sustainability/ EUROPEAN PROJECTS EMPOWERMENT OF SOCIAL INCLUSION GROUPS THROUGH CREATIVITY AND CULTURAL WORKS (Erasmus + project KA227 – Partnerships for Creativity) The project aims to support artists from social inclusion groups to present and promote their artworks in post-COVID 19 circumstances and to inspire their cooperation within European countries. The project aims to equip them with the necessary innovative skills and competencies to foster their creativity and the creation of new artworks. MINDSPACES (Horizon 2020 – 825079) MindSpaces bring together artists, creatives, and technology experts to produce AR/VR installations representing emotionally and functionally adaptive designs of outdoor and indoor spaces. Innovative design ideas are introduced by art practices, through their ability to imagine futures that do not just reflect the current consensus in mathematics, logic, and engineering, setting into motion new ways of seeing, hearing, touching, feeling, transforming, and experiencing spaces, places, and community. Artists incorporate these responses into “living” installations. AI4FUTURE (EACEA-32-2019) Creative European project involving Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. It aims to improve the understanding and dissemination of A.I. technology for the active and creative participation of young activists in the European cultural scene and the joint creation of new urban community awareness. REAL-IN (EACEA-28-2019) Creative Media Project in collaboration with the Manufacture performing arts in Avignon, (VRHAM/interactive arts in Hamburg), explores the crossovers of the cultural, audiovisual, and creative sectors for immersive and interactive proposals, exploiting 3D scanning technologies combined with XR scenarios.