MADRID, SPAIN.- The Spanish Ministry of Culture announced that artist Esther Ferrer has been awarded the National Visual Arts Award 2008 for “her relevant artistic development, specially in performance art. Her loyalty to this area has had an effect on generations of younger people since her education activity. Her continual international presence is also valued.” The award is given out by the Ministry of Culture and comes with 30,000 euros.

Esther Ferrer (San Sebastián, 1937) is one of the pioneers in performance art in Spain. Her work has stood out individually and as part of a group. She belonged to the ZAJ group that dissolved in 1966. She has performed in several countries and has participated in the most important festivals. In 199 she was one of the two artists representing Spain the Venice Art Biennial. As a visual artist she has exhibited her work in museums such as the Reina Sofia, Statsgalerie in Stuttgart, the Koldo Mitxelena of San Sebastián and the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo in Seville.

Jury: The jury was presided by José Jiménez, general director of Fine Arts and Cultural Goods and is made up by Isidoro Valcárcel, who won the National Visual Arts Award of 2007; Manuel Borja-Villel, director of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, designated by the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando; Gloria Picazo, director of the Centre d’ Art La Panera, designated by the Instituto de Arte Contemporáneo (IAC); Orlando Britto, art critic, designated by the Unions of Visual Artists Associations (UAAV); Miguel Fernández-Cid, art critic, designated by the Association of Contemporary Art Directors of Spain (ADACE); and Juan Antonio Ramírez, art critic, designated by the Lápiz art magazine.