The Luca Beatrice Prize is born. It will be aimed at artists under 35

A new prize dedicated to contemporary painting is born in memory of Luca Beatrice, an art critic and essayist who died suddenly on Jan. 21, 2025. The initiative was announced during the Turin International Book Fair by the promoting committee composed of Michele Coppola, Walter Guadagnini, Marco Rainò, Massimo Feira and Giulio Biino. The Luca Beatrice Prize will be aimed at contemporary artists under 35, both Italian and international, who are permanently active in Italy. The aim is to support and enhance the new generations of contemporary painting, in the sign of the attention Luca Beatrice has always dedicated to emerging artistic research.

The selection of the candidates will be entrusted to the directors and managers of the museums that are members of Maci - Association of Italian Contemporary Art Museums, who will propose the artists to the prize’s promoting committee. The first edition is scheduled to take place by the end of 2026, inaugurating a project designed to keep Luca Beatrice’s cultural and critical legacy alive through support for the contemporary art scene.

“We are keeping a commitment to ourselves that we made, in the days following his passing, as friends of Luca whose passing we miss greatly,” Coppola said. “The outstanding result of the work done at the Quadrennial, which ended a few months ago, was the additional stimulus to keep that promise alive and strong.” “The idea is to work with the people who stood by Luca professionally to keep his memory alive through the work of young artists. What we are announcing today is a path made by people who care about art, culture, talent and creativity of the most important players in the art system who are the artists themselves,” he explained.

“The first step will be the creation of the Luca Beatrice Circle, which will aim to raise funds and memberships. The prize will be open to everyone under 35: artists will be selected directly by a collegial body, which will produce the final applications,” Biino said.

“We have promoted this initiative to keep Luca’s memory alive through what he loved, which was culture, but also support for the new generations. A lot of energy has coalesced around this project,” Guadagnini concluded.

The Luca Beatrice Prize is born. It will be aimed at artists under 35

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