Amaral announces “complete freedom” for creators to deliver fine arts gold medals in 2021.

The monarchs presented this Thursday the Gold Medals for Merit in the Fine Arts in 2021, at a ceremony held in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Together with them, the Ministry of Culture and Sports singled out 33 outstanding individuals and entities in the field of artistic and cultural creativity; or rendered eminent services in the promotion, development or dissemination of art and culture or in the conservation of artistic heritage.

Minister of Culture and Sports Mikel Isetta; The President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Angel Victor Torres Perez; Tenerife Island Council President Pedro Manuel Martin Dominguez and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Mayor Jose Manuel Bermudez Esparza.

Eva Amaral was assigned to speak on behalf of the winners. The singer highlighted the work of multiple award-winners such as Ian Gibson and Icar Bolain, and emphasized that this tribute explores the way to find “something of your own” and “invent new ideas”. Therefore, he claimed “total freedom” in cultural production and that “time will be the judge”.

Felipe VI, for his part, addressed the achievement of a “collective commitment” between institutions and society in order to increase “recognition” in the field of culture. The king emphasized “how much” creators contribute to society as a whole, stressing that gold medals are an example of the “debt owed” by society.

Similarly, he said that seeing all the winners together is a “stimulating image that impresses” because it is a “portrait” of Spanish culture “in all its diversity, its richness, its boundless creativity”. For his part, he highlighted the “effort, perseverance and passion” of all the awardees, as they produce a tangible and, above all, “emotional” cultural heritage. “Thank you very much for your desire to create, and for necessarily overcoming many difficult moments to do so. Thank you for encouraging us, encouraging us, accompanying us in life, helping us, in short, to grow in culture, in humanity,” he concluded.

Iceta claims “life and dignity” for creators

Isetta admitted that it is “difficult” to sum up the creative potential of the Spaniard, who he admitted that “without you we are nothing”. He also defended that it is good that the award ceremony takes place in the autonomous communities so that cultural production can take root throughout the country.

The minister commented that they had chosen Tenerife as a “respect” for the cultural production of the islands, reminding the victims of the eruption of La Palma and also referring to the “meteor” that crossed the sky of the archipelago on Thursday.

Then, he appreciated the figure of Oscar Domínguez, creator of the decal and inspiration of TEA (Tenerife Espacio de las Artes); And highlighted Almudena Grandes and Ramón Casas, awarded posthumously, and César Manrique, who received the medal in 1980, and now his discourse on respect for the environment is more relevant than ever.

Isetta reviewed all the winners and showed the “appreciation” of the Spanish public for their activism. “It’s not a retirement medal, it’s a point and follow,” he said, urging that cultural creators can have a “dignified and dignified life” because many representatives of the sector “do not live well.”

List of winners:

Likewise, and posthumously, Ramon Casas Valles and writer Almudena Grandes were honored.