ABOUT
Premios AYNI: Where Art and Social Impact Unite!
Premios AYNI is an innovative art competition that celebrates the best art projects making a positive social impact in Peru.
Our awards celebrate artists and cultural managers who harness the power of creativity to drive meaningful transformations in society.
In our inaugural edition, the winning project will receive a S./20,000 prize and a professional trip to Switzerland, while the finalists get the chance to partake in a specialized mentoring program.
But that’s not all! With Premios AYNI, we’re breaking barriers and making art more accessible to all, fostering an inclusive and participatory artistic culture that resonates with people from all walks of life.
Why Premios AYNI?
In Peru, recognition for art with a social impact is limited and heavily centralized in its capital, Lima.
The aim of Premios AYNI therefore is to expand this recognition and promote the development of a nationwide art scene with a social impact. In line with this goal, the Premios AYNI project has launched the first Latin American competition exclusively recognizing visual art projects with social impact. This competition seeks to showcase the work of artists and cultural managers who employ visual art as a tool for social change, encouraging critical reflection on social issues through art.
Beyond being a platform for artist recognition, we also aspire to position ourselves as a hub for connection, exchange, development, and implementation of art projects with social impact on both national and international levels.
What is Art with Social Impact?
Art with social impact is a means to create positive changes in society through creativity and artistic expression.
It possesses the power to generate positive change in society through its message, content, and/or practice. This form of art not only pursues aesthetic creation but also aims to establish a connection with the community, encouraging participation and critical reflection on social issues.
Art with social impact can be produced by individual artists or collectives and can address a wide range of subjects, from combating discrimination and violence to promoting social justice, environmental care, and the defense of human rights, among others.
This type of art seeks to serve as a tool for fostering social transformation, empowering communities, and contributing to the construction of a fairer and more equitable world.
Our Story
In the year 2022, internationally renowned art consultant, Pablo Espinel, joined forces with the Swiss Embassy and Ambassador to Peru, Paul Garnier, with a bold mission: to create an art platform that leaves a lasting impact on society. Numerous gatherings with patrons, museum directors, artists, and local art scene movers and shakers took place, fueling the birth of a visionary project – Premios AYNI.
Inspired by the Quechua concept of reciprocity and community, the idea of Premios AYNI was born. To bring this vision to life, a diverse team of experts in participatory, community-driven, and socially impactful art came together.
Supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Peru and sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Swiss Cultural Fund, this project thrives with both public and private sector backing. Thanks to their support, the year 2023 witnessed the successful launch of the inaugural edition of Premios AYNI – a groundbreaking celebration of Art with Social Impact.
TEAM
Pablo Espinel, Fundador / CEO
Art Consultant, Cultural Producer, and Entrepreneur with over 12 years of expertise in the art world.
From a young age, Pablo’s fascination with the intersection of art, economic development, and social progress sparked a profound journey. Driven by a passion to create positive societal impact, he founded Premios AYNI – a dynamic platform designed to empower artists, foster community, and most importantly, channel resources and funds towards driving social change through art.
Pablo’s art career includes pivotal roles as Director and Executive Board Member of Asia’s iconic art fair, Art Stage Singapore, and as a senior consultant for Art Basel and galleries across Asia and Europe. Additionally, he serves as a senior advisor for the Asian Cultural Council in New York, a prestigious foundation backed by the Rockefeller family.
Growing up in Basel, Switzerland, Pablo’s Swiss stepfather led Art Basel’s global art fair, nurturing his deep roots in the art world. In a previous life, he studied forestry engineering, worked for the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington DC, for Newsweek in New York, and even taught at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing, China.
Pablo holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University.2
Filiberto Cueva, Co-Organizer and Strategic Alliances Coordinator.
Leading the charge in forging strategic agreements and collaborations, Filiberto spearheads communication, outreach, and promotional efforts with our valued partners.
Filiberto is a doctoral candidate in Communication and Cultural Industries and holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Management from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. He has actively participated in workshops and practical courses on citizenship, democracy, and development conducted by the Carmen Pardo Foundation (Madrid – Spain), La Salle University (Bogotá – Colombia), and AYUDH (Frankfurt – Germany). He is an alumnus of the Professional Fellow program by the United States Government. Filiberto has contributed to the development of cultural projects and initiatives with institutions such as the Ministry of Culture, National Library of Peru, Metropolitan Municipality of Lima, and has served as deputy manager of tourism and culture for the Municipality of Chiclayo and manager of culture for the Municipality of Miraflores in Lima.
Currently, he serves as a cultural manager for the Municipality of San Isidro and as a faculty member teaching the course «Innovation Laboratory» at Continental University.
Verónica Moll, Co-Organizer and Production and Comms Coordinator.
In charge of the development, supervision, and monitoring of Premios AYNI’s operations. She is also at the helm of managing and developing internal and external communication about the competition.
Verónica holds a master’s degree in Cultural Management from the International University of Catalonia. She has collaborated on cultural projects and initiatives with ARXIU AM (Barcelona, Spain), Studio Bunga (Barcelona, Spain), and the Ministry of Culture (Lima, Peru). She brings expertise on project management in communication, development, art, and culture.
Karem Oré, Planning and
Budget Coordinator
In charge of planning and monitoring activities, as well as efficiently managing human, financial, and logistical resources.
Karem is a certified public accountant from Federico Villarreal National University. For five years, she led finance departments in the construction sector. Six years ago, she founded Quinto Espacio, an agency specializing in audiovisual production and content creation. Leading this venture allowed her to apply her accounting and financial expertise in a creative and entrepreneurial environment, while also honing her leadership, project management, and negotiation skills.
International Jury
Renate Wagner
Head of Exhibitions, Kunsthalle Basel (Switzerland)
Since the year 2000, Renate has dedicated her professional career to the realm of contemporary art, engaging in diverse activities such as curating exhibitions, publishing texts and works, and participating in various international selection committees.
From 2003 to 2014, she served as Project Manager and Coordinator for the Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art, gaining extensive experience in organizing large-scale events.
Since 2014, Renate has been the Head of Exhibitions at Kunsthalle Basel in Switzerland, where she has contributed to the realization of high-quality exhibitions and solidified her reputation as a leading figure in the field of contemporary art.
Clara López Menéndez
Co-Director, Art Program, California Institute of the Arts - CalArts (USA)
Art enthusiast whose practice revolves around curating, pedagogy, criticism, and performance. Among her recent projects is the publication «La Crónica Libre,» a local publication on the politics and history of Los Angeles (where she resides), and the exhibition of Barcelona artist Antoni Hervás, «The Awakening,» at Human Resources LA (May 2023).
In between, she earns a living as a professor and Co-Director of the Art Program at CalArts University.
Katya Cazar
Executive Director,
Cuenca Biennial (Ecuador)
As an artist and curator, Katya has participated in various national and international projects. She currently directs the 16th edition of the Cuenca Biennial. She has also been involved in past editions as a representative artist of Ecuador, curator, and executive director.
She is a prominent researcher in contemporary Ecuadorian art and has coordinated and directed the inclusion process of the work of artist Mauricio Bueno in the Guggenheim Museum Collection in New York.
In February 2023, she was invited to the biennials meeting organized by ARCO Madrid. She is also a member of the group of curators from Europe and Latin America, IKT. Katya also advised on the creation of the University of the Arts in Ecuador.
She has been a fellow of the Women Leaders of Culture program of the Management of Cultural Heritage in the USA. She was also a fellow of the Goethe Institut for «Experimenta Sur» in Bogotá and was invited to a residency in Galápagos by the Quo Artis Barcelona Foundation on art and science.
Issela Ccoyllo
President, Association of Curators of Peru
Art Historian from the National University of San Marcos with a Master’s degree in Gender and Development from the same university. Her research focuses on critical art, gender representations, and the construction of visual culture imaginaries, questioning and extending the narratives of contemporary art practices.
She is a co-author with Jorge Villacorta of «Inteligencia Salvaje: La contraesfera pública 1979-2019» (Peruvian North American Cultural Institute, 2019), a book accompanying the homonymous exhibition that made visible forty years of counterculture in Lima, centered on the trajectory of artist Herbert Rodríguez. The exhibition received the National Curatorship LLAMA 2020 Award in the category «Beyond art.»
Claudia Coca
Visual Artist and Educator
Her work provokes critical reflections on contemporary political and cultural themes: colonialism, racism, gender, and citizenship.
In 2023, she will participate as a guest artist in the Amazonias Biennial (Brazil) and the Santa Cruz Biennial (Bolivia). In 2022, she was invited to the Campo Air residence in Pueblo Garzón (Uruguay) and participated in the Women’s Century Forum (Bolivia).
Today, she is part of two transdisciplinary creation collectives. She is a member of Portunholas, a laboratory for women artists on the borders of South America. She also works on the collective project: «Una Geografía de los Saberes: ruta hacia el árbol de la Quina y otres habitantes» (A Geography of Knowledge: a route to the Quina tree and other inhabitants).
She has held twelve solo exhibitions and received numerous awards. Her works are part of collections such as: Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid; Museo del Barro, Paraguay; PAMM, Miami; MUNTREF, Museo de la Universidad Tres de Febrero, Buenos Aires; MALI, Lima; among others.
PREMIOS AYNI
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